Change of Heart
by Kitt Chaos
Summary: Li and Kero have driven Yue to the edge of his patience. Yue's going to end their constant bickering once and for all!
1. Default Chapter

Author's notes - 

First, please be warned, this story contains just about every **SPOILER** for the anime series and the manga series. If spoilers upset you, please do not read until you have seen or read all of Card Captor Sakura! This story is based upon the events, characters and situations found in Card Captor Sakura, the full or Japanese version as opposed to Cardcaptors, the translated and significantly altered story of the English version. 

The creators of Card Captor Sakura and all the wonderful characters who I love so much are CLAMP, the highly talented Japanese manga circle whose imagination always astounds me. I intend no disrespect at all with my story, and in my limited understanding have tried to remain true to the characters and relationships of their original works. 

I rely on the truths of the manga series in this story, that Clow split his soul between Fujitaka and Eriol when he died; and Sakura finished Clow's plan by splitting Clow's magic between them. Because of this, in my story, Fujitaka Kinomoto not only knows about Sakura's magical abilities, but possesses his own magic as well. 

Change of Heart takes place after the events of the anime. Sakura and Li are about 17 years old, and their relationship has matured accordingly. Sakura still lives with her dad while she's attending college. Touya and Yukito/Yue are a couple (strongly hinted at in the official Japanese story, though there is nothing graphic in this fiction) and share Yukito's house, though Touya's job takes him on international travel often. When Touya's out of town for extended lengths of time, Yukito usually stays at the Kinomoto residence, so he (or Yue) can be near and guard Sakura. Yukito (as shown in the second movie "The Sealed Card") knows that he is Yue. 

The Moonpaths - This is a magical place/state of being that developed in a more shounen ai story I wrote with Touya and Yukito/Yue. If Yue flies up into a night sky that has a moon, he is able to go to the moonpaths where the moonlight forms a type of magical solid matter. He uses the moonpaths most often as a retreat when he needs to be alone. One interesting note: even at the height of his power, Clow was not able to see the moonpaths, but after Yue restores Touya's magic to him (not part of the original CLAMP story), Touya can. 

Yue and sleep - I don't know why this idea crops up in my Card Captor Sakura stories but it does fairly often. It's established in the official story line that Yue doesn't eat; for some reason, I have extended this to the idea that Yue doesn't sleep either. Unless he's compelled to by magical means, as when Clow forced him to sleep on the back cover of the Clow Book in the official story, Yue is unable to sleep (and doesn't need to) in this story. 

Japanese honorifics and names - -chan, -kun, -san, -sensei and -sama added after a Japanese name and seem to show some degree of respect and/or affection between people. Please go to this page [http://www.stargarde.com/honorifics.html] if you would like to read how I understand and use these honorifics in this story. 

Japanese children do not usually refer to older siblings by name, which is why Sakura calls Touya "onii-chan" which means "big brother". "Otoosan" roughly translates to "dad" or "daddy". 

"Kin" is "gold" in Japanese. In my story, Yue uses it as a special nickname for Kerberos. Kero's nickname for Yue is "Gin" which means "silver". 

Clow's Moonbell - For the purpose of this story, Eriol caused the Moonbell to disappear from Kaho's hand after it was rung in the Final Judgment, rather than allowing the Bell to be destroyed. 

**Change of Heart**

"What?!" 

"I told you he was going to make a big deal out of it!" Li declared hotly, "This isn't going to work here, Sakura!" 

"Kero-chan, I know it's not easy. I simply want to be with Syaoran-kun tonight. Please understand!" Sakura pleaded with wide green eyes. 

"Oh, I understand all right! You and the kid are gonna..." Kero began. 

"Watch it, you stuffed animal! Don't say something I'll make you regret!" Li interrupted, clenching his fist. Magic sparked around his hand. 

"Why, you...! I oughta...!" a magic circle suddenly blossomed on the floor and wings erupted in the room. Kerberos, the Guardian Beast of the Clow Cards, filled the small bedroom with ruffled wings, a thrashing tail and a barely controlled temper. 

"Syaoran!" Sakura shouted, pushing his hand down as she put herself between her upset lover and her irate Guardian. 

"Both of you! Calm down!" 

"He started it!" Li protested. 

"Syaoran! Stop acting like a child!" Sakura snapped, "And Kero!" her expression softened, "Realize I love him. You can't get between us!" 

"Yeah, I know," Kero put aside his power and resumed his more harmless form, "Later, kid. See you tomorrow, 'Mistress'." Kero bowed deeply before flying up, turning the handle and opening the door. He looked back one more time with a mournful expression on his face, and pulled the door closed behind him. 

"Syaoran, you've got to be more respectful! He's the Guardian of the Seal!" Sakura chided, "He's also my friend," she continued more quietly, "This is hard enough on him as it is without you making it any harder..." 

"You tell him, Sakura!" Kero mumbled as he flew out of earshot. His body drooped from his wings. 

"Of course, he gets to stay in the room with you while I get banished..." Kero inattentively flew right into Yue's chest. 

Yue caught him with a graceful hand before he could fall. 

"Is something wrong?" he asked. 

"It's the brat! He and Sakura...!" Kero began loudly. 

Yue winced, "I heard it all. I'm right here; you don't have to shout! It's a good thing Touya's not home. All of your shouting would have waken him up." 

"Yeah, where is 'onii-chan'? He should keep that kid away from his sister!" Kero shouted. 

"You simply won't behave, will you?" Yue remarked peevishly, "To-ya is on a business trip. Sakura and Li deserve to have their time together..." 

"Do you know what they're gonna do?! I have to stop them!" Kero shouted. 

"No, you don't! I think I should take you out of here for now..." Yue suited actions to words, wrapped Kero thoroughly in a few loops of his hair and flew through the open window into the night sky. 

Yue flew fast enough that they were miles from the house before Kerberos managed to untangled himself. Ruefully, Kero sat on Yue's shoulder. 

"Calmer now?" Yue asked. 

"Yeah. Where're we going?" 

"I'm going to the moonpaths. You can come with if you want," Yue offered carefully. 

"Got nuthin' better to do," Kero mumbled. 

A few minutes later Yue seated himself on the solid path of moonbeams and held out an inviting hand. Kero hesitated and finally settled on Yue's lap. 

"Tell me what's wrong, Kin," Yue suggested as he stroked Kero's head and wings gently, "There is something deeper than Li spending the night with Sakura that is bothering you." 

"Yeah. Boy, it's been a long time since we've done this! Of course, back then it was me offering comfort to you..." Kero noted. 

"It's about time for me to return the favor," Yue agreed. 

"Don't think you can not answer my question, Kerberos. After all, you never let me avoid answering your questions!" Yue reminded him softly. 

"It's just...am I only the Guardian of the Seal? Li was just a kid, gifted magically, as any descendant of Clow's would be, I suppose, but he's grown up now. I have to admit, even if all the Cards were to rebel against Sakura, Li could probably protect her. His magic is very strong. Does she...need me...anymore?" Kero asked quietly. Yue remained silent, sensing that Kero had more to say. 

"You are the Judge, another Guardian...but you're more too. Your other form, Yukito...Touya loves both of you. 'Cause of Yukito, you have connections that have nothing to do with bein' a Guardian. I am Kerberos, Kero, no matter which form I'm in, cool Guardian Beast or silly 'stuffed animal'." Kero turned his head away. 

"I really hate it when he calls me that!" he muttered. 

"I guess...I have no place in Sakura's life anymore...and I don't really have any other place to be. I'm useless!" Kero shouted. 

"No," Yue countered serenely, "Clow-san never thought so. You could comfort him when I failed to do so. Sakura would miss you terribly if you left her." 

"I can't leave her. I'm tied to her as her Guardian," Kero replied, "But that's the problem. That's all I am! Look at me!" 

Kero flew up to hover before Yue's face. 

"I am simply a toy, a stuffed animal! I'm don't dare move or talk when people who don't know me are around. My true shape would frighten them so I have to stay this way most of the time!" Kero settled under Yue's comforting touch again, "I envy you that you can be other than a Guardian...'cause of Yukito you know what it is like to be a normal person, act normally and do normal things!" 

"That is true. It is an advantage to my 'other self' that I hadn't properly appreciated before..." Yue reflected. 

"It just seems like everyone else has grown somehow; Sakura, you, even the brat, gotten stronger, found love, learned more magic...except for me..." Kero tried to explain, "I'm just...what I am. What I've always been. A Guardian Beast. Or...a stuffed animal!" he finished bitterly. 

Yue couldn't find any comfort he could give in words; advice such as Kerberos offered to him many years ago. He simply continued his caressing stroke and pondered. Finally, Kero sighed. 

"I've calmed down now. We should go back. I promise I won't do anything," he suggested. 

"Okay," Yue agreed. 

Yue carried Kero in through the hallway window when they returned. Kero automatically began to fly toward Sakura's room, only to run into Yue's blocking hand. 

"You should sleep with me tonight," Yue suggested. 

"You don't sleep!" Kero countered, "I can go downstairs and sleep there... That way I won't be a bother to anybody..." he offered. 

Yue lifted an eyebrow sardonically before Clow magic flared and folded his wings away allowing Yukito to manifest. 

"Little Kerberos, I'd be honored to share my bed with you!" Yukito declared earnestly before he realized what he'd said and blushed. 

"That is...not like when I'm with Touya..." he blushed deeper, "Look...there's room on my bed for you," Yukito finally finished. 

"Thank you, Yuki-usagi, but..." Kero began. 

"No 'but's! C'mon!" Yukito grabbed Kero gently from the air and pulled him into his room. Once there Yukito kept up a light nonsensical monologue while he got ready for bed. Finally he placed his glasses on the night stand and turned out the light. 

"Kero-san?" he asked as he snuggled under the covers. 

"Yeah?" 

"Normally, when Touya's not here, Yue-san would have stayed so I wouldn't have to sleep...since Yue doesn't need to..." Yukito paused, "I get lonely, without To-ya. I do hate sleeping alone..." 

Kerberos recognized the loneliness in Yukito's voice and realized that Yue had manipulated both of them into needing the other. Part of him wanted to curl up in the corner and sulk about his lot in life, but he wouldn't let Yukito stay lonely. He growled in his thoughts even as he admired Yue's complete understanding, not only of the needs of his own 'alter ego', Yukito, but Kerberos' needs as well. Right now, Kerberos most needed to be needed. 

He relented and flew up to the pillow. Yukito's questing hands found him. A moment later he was pulled against Yuki's chest in the special embrace everyone first learns as a child, for the one who chases away night-time terrors. Kerberos recalled the first time he had been held this way. It was the very first night of his life and it was his creator, Clow, who had needed his comfort that night. In a way very much like Clow's, Yukito sighed contentedly and fell deeply asleep. Comforted himself by the similarity to his memories, Kerberos admitted to himself that sometimes it wasn't so bad to be a 'stuffed animal'. 

******** 

"We need to talk," Yue declared evenly, floating before Li the next day. 

"Oh, no! Not you too!" Li exclaimed, "Look, I have the right to love her..." 

"I'm not contesting that. Love Sakura, by all means, and enjoy her love in return. I need to talk with you about Kerberos," Yue told him. 

"I got read the riot act by Sakura already. I'll be nice, even if he is just..." 

"...a 'stuffed animal'? Do you know, Li Syaoran, if he wanted to, Kerberos could kill you before you could lift finger or spell to save yourself?" Yue began conversationally. 

Li snorted, "Yeah, right!" 

Yue regarded him with coldly assessing eyes. 

"Do you also know he admits you've grown in power enough to protect Sakura without his help? He respects your power..." 

"He doesn't respect me!" 

"What have you done to earn that respect?" Yue snapped, "You haven't earned mine." 

Li looked up into Yue's eyes with a stricken expression. Yue knew he had the young man's full attention now. He was not above using the attraction Li had always felt, especially for his "Yukito" persona, to make his point. 

"Kerberos is my friend. You do everything you can, as you always have, to belittle him. I have seen him face horrors that would curdle your very soul; I have seen him strive against the odds in fights we couldn't win; I have never seen him defeated...until now. Until you. I admit you have power, descendant of Clow. I question if you have the compassion to wield it?" 

"Defeated...?" Li's face was stunned, "The Guardian Beast of the Seal? How have I defeated him?" 

"If you thought of him more as the 'Guardian Beast of the Seal' and not a 'stuffed animal'..." Yue began. Abruptly his manner softened, "He questions his worth. I have never seen him like this before. It...concerns me." 

"I never thought..." Li started, "You're wrong! I do respect him! Even when he is just the stuffed animal..." 

Yue folded his arms and a severely skeptical expression took up residence on his face. 

"Do you know I couldn't even fly?" Li admitted softly. 

"What has that to do with anything? I have seen you fly!" Yue told him coldly. 

"No...when we were switched..." 

"'Switched'?" 

"Oh, that was before you were awakened. Yes, switched. When Sakura captured the Change Card, Kerberos and I were switched," Li explained, "He spent a day in my body and I spent it in his. It was the first time I slept in Sakura's room..." Li smiled, "Though, of course, nothing happened. I was in a stuffed animal, you see..." 

"So, Kerberos has spent a day as a human...I wonder if it affected him?" Yue mused. 

"Quite a bit, I'd say. He spent the next few days hanging around me. Even stopped calling me 'brat' for a while. He said he couldn't get used to the Change back..." 

"And you? Did it affect you?" Yue asked. 

"Not really. I didn't have to get readjusted as Kero did. Although, I never did figure out how to get his wings to work...almost got eaten by a cat trying..." 

"So, that was you Yukito caught from the air," Yue realized. 

"Yeah!" Li smiled, "Sakura was so mad that I wouldn't stay put! But, I wanted to prove to her that I could do it, that I could be as good a stuffed animal as Kero..." Li looked down, remembering that he actually hadn't been very good as a substitute Kerberos. 

"Hmm," Yue realized, "Do you know that this conversation is the first time I have ever heard you call him by his name and not 'stuffed animal' or 'Guardian Beast'. I'm counting the times I have heard you talk about him in front of Yukito too," Yue told him. 

"Really? I guess I don't talk about him very often," Li seemed unimpressed. 

"No, you disparage him most of the time. Even to his face. I think that is why he's feeling...inadequate," Yue noted. 

"Well, I can promise you I'll stop talking poorly about him! Who would have thought he had such fragile feelings!" Li decided, "Satisfied?" he asked archly. 

"For now," Yue returned coolly as he floated out of Li's way. 

******** 

Li's promise lasted only a few days. When Kero called him 'brat', Li started calling him 'stuffed animal' again. 

Sakura left her room in disgust to let Li and Kerberos yell at each other. Sakura noticed Yue leaning against a wall in the hallway. His arms were crossed and he had what Sakura thought of as his "pissed off" expression on his face. Sakura marveled that Yue had such a look when she was certain that Yukito could never force his face into a similar expression even if he wanted to...and realized that Yuki would never want to. She smiled that Yukito and Yue were both so dear to her for such very different reasons as she walked toward her Moon Guardian. 

"I think they like fighting with each other better than talking with me!" Sakura declared, looking up into Yue's face, "How anyone can get them come to an agreement about anything is beyond my understanding!" Her green eyes almost sparked with exasperation. The look in Yue's eyes softened as he graced Sakura with his almost-smile. 

"Do you trust me?" Yue asked, placing his hand on her cheek and gazing down into her eyes affectionately. 

"Of course!" Sakura replied automatically. 

"Good! There is a ritual your father can perform, that will enable me to take care of both of them for you," Yue smiled an entirely different type of smile. 

"You...won't hurt them, will you?!" Sakura asked in sudden alarm. 

"No...I'd never hurt either one of them...but I don't think either of them will much like what I must do... Bring your Cards to your father's study," Yue directed cryptically. 

---------------------- 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Moon Magic 


	2. Moon Magic

**Chapter Two - Moon Magic**

Sakura found her father and Yue in a deep discussion when she entered Fujitaka's study a half an hour later. Her father smiled at her and gestured for her to come to him. Though his expression was kind as always, Sakura noticed the tense look around his eyes. 

"This is dangerous, Yue-chan!" Fujitaka told him, "I know you entered the staff once, to help Sakura-san," Fujitaka laid his hand with paternal gentleness on the young woman's shoulder, "But this...!" 

"I know the risks. But consider; all the Cards share my aspect..." 

"If not for that I wouldn't even consider it!" Fujitaka snapped, "I'm sorry! But I am worried! You will have to supply the magic and you know that your innate energy level is not as high as Kerberos'."   
  
"It is for his sake that I am asking you to do this, Fujitaka-san. His sake, and Li's," Yue told him softly. 

"Oh!" Fujitaka realized, "That compassion of yours...that you try so hard to hide..." 

Yue nodded once before staring uncomfortably over Fujitaka's shoulder. 

"What are you talking about?" Sakura demanded, clutching the Clow Book against her chest, "I don't want Yue-san putting himself in danger..." 

"But that is why I was made, Mistress. I am one of the Guardians. I am supposed to put myself between you and danger," Yue reminded her. 

"This isn't about me. I'm not in danger. You are planning something else! What is it?" Sakura demanded as she turned toward her father. 

Fujitaka's face animated, as it always did when he slipped into lecture mode. Yue caught his eye over Sakura's head and shook his own head sharply. 

Fujitaka smiled. He grasped his daughter by the shoulders, "Sakura-san, what is that thing you always say?" 

"'Everything will be all right.' Clow-san told me that was my most powerful magic," Sakura replied looking up at him. 

"Do you want everything to be all right? Yue, Kerberos and Li? If you want it; if you truly mean it, I will do what Yue-san asks, knowing that everything will be all right. But, it means you have to trust us and I won't be able to explain until later," Fujitaka told her. 

"I do trust you! And Yue-san too!" Sakura declared, "If it will help Kero-chan, Syaoran-kun and Yue-san, I will do whatever you want me to!" 

"And...?" Fujitaka asked. 

Sakura smiled, dimpling each cheek, knowing what her father wanted to hear, "And it will be all right! I believe that! Because..." she reached out and grabbed Yue's hand, "Because I trust you. And I trust Yue-san. And I know that he won't hurt Syaoran-kun or Kero-chan...that he wants to help them. Because...he loves them, maybe as much as I do. So yes, everything will be absolutely all right!" 

"Good!" Fujitaka decided, freeing Sakura's hands and taking up his sun-tipped staff that was a mate to Eriol's. He lifted it, invoking the Clow Circle on the floor. 

"You must stand in the center," Fujitaka told Yue. Yue gazed at him for a long moment. He'd never seen Fujitaka so serious before. Fujitaka had the same abstracted look of concentration that Yue had seen so often on Clow's face. He shivered, realizing that he was asking for the most potent workings of Clow's magic. 

"We do not have to do this," Fujitaka reminded him, "It is entirely up to you!" 

Yue considered again what he wanted to do. He could try another method...but it would tip his hand. Both Kerberos and Li were so strong-willed, they would perversely unite against him in their disdain for each other if they figured out what he was up to. That would make an intolerable situation even worse. Yue stepped into the circle. 

Fujitaka smiled gravely at him, "Sakura-san, you and I must be in the circle, but near the rim," he directed his daughter. He took the Clow Book gently from her hands and placed it on his desk outside the circle. Sakura stepped into the circle across from her father. Yue was between them. 

"Invoke your key," Fujitaka told her. 

"Key which hides the power of stars..." Sakura began the spell that brought forth her star staff. 

"Purest Moon, distilled down..." Fujitaka began, intoning a spell Yue hadn't heard before. He was definitely the target as ribbons of magic snared him. He held up one hand and watched in wonder as it turned into moonlight. By the time Sakura's key had released the star staff, Yue was nothing more than a globe of moonlight floating in the center of the circle. Fujitaka brought the tip of his own staff into the center of that globe to anchor it. 

"Place the head of your staff against mine," Fujitaka directed Sakura, "And close your eyes. Draw Yue-san into your staff, as you did once before. Concentrate! You must absorb his power and give him a home in your staff or he will perish!" 

Sakura rested the star of her staff against the sunburst of her father's staff. She closed her eyes and twisted her hands on the haft, suddenly remembering that Li had helped her before, when she had to absorb both Yue and Kerberos into her staff to change the Light and the Dark. Claiming those last two Cards increased their magic and brought all of Clow's Cards completely under her dominion. Such intense power had been needed in order to break a powerful sleep spell Eriol had placed over the entire town. Increasing Sakura's magic had been Eriol's intent all along, though the threat that everyone Sakura loved would sleep forever had been very real. 

"Concentrate, Sakura! You do not need Li-kun's help," Fujitaka told her, "You are not breaking a spell, you are creating a new one. You are not absorbing both Sun and Moon into your staff, it is the gentle Moon only and he is willing. You have the strength and magic to do this!" Fujitaka urged, somehow intuiting her thoughts. 

The faint worry eased from Sakura's face. She set her hands firmly on the haft and concentrated on making a magic conduit for Yue to travel to enter the staff. 

"Good! I knew you could do it!" Fujitaka beamed, "Open your eyes, Sakura!" 

Sakura looked curiously at the head of her staff. Yue's winged moon symbol glowed faintly around the star tip. 

"Is...is Yue-san all right?!" Sakura asked. His symbol brightened. 

"Is that answer enough for you? He is fine. Did you not say all would be all right?" Fujitaka replied. 

"Now," Fujitaka set his own staff to float in the air, gesturing for Sakura to give him hers, "Leave this to me! Go and do something for awhile...I know! Make something for dinner. Tsukishiro-kun and I will both be starving!" 

"Yukito-san...? Yue-san doesn't have to stay in the staff?" Sakura asked. 

"No. I will free him when the rest of what I must do here is done. He will be fine! Don't worry so much, Sakura-san!" Fujitaka gently pushed Sakura through the door and magically barred it behind her. 

"Now..." Fujitaka brought Sakura's Yue-charged staff back into the circle. 

"Oh, Cards of Clow, heed me now, who once was part of Clow, release to me if you allow!" Sakura's book of Cards sprang open and the Cards issued forth to float within the magic circle. 

"Good!" Fujitaka smiled, "It's nice to know all of you still care! Now..." 

******** 

The kitchen door opened and Fujitaka and Yukito entered. 

"Yukito-san!" Sakura dashed over and hugged him, "You are all right! Did it hurt? Was it cool? Tell me all about it!" Sakura begged. 

"Sakura-chan, I know you want to hear all about it...but I'm famished! What did you make for us?" Yukito pleaded. 

"Oh!" Sakura smiled at him, "I made your favorite!" 

"What would that be? I pretty much like everything..." Yukito was puzzled. 

"I know! That is why I always make your favorite!" 

"Oh! What is my favorite today, then?" Yukito laughed. 

"Crepes Suzette! I found the recipe in Dad's cookbook and we had all the ingredients..." 

"Crepes Suzette?! My favorite!" Yukito exclaimed. 

"See? You are so easy to cook for! Syoaran-kun's a little harder...the worst is Onii-chan..." 

"Touya-kun can be rather picky," Fujitaka agreed, "You did make enough for both of us, didn't you, Sakura-san?" 

"Of course!" Sakura served the meal she prepared and contained her questions while Yukito and her father ate to replenish their depleted energy reserves. 

"So...what was all that about, anyway? Why did Yue-san have to enter my staff again?" Sakura tossed over her shoulder as she put the dishes in the sink. 

Yukito lifted one hand. Fujitaka checked Yukito's arcane gesture as he lifted his own hand in spell-casting. Sakura slumped. Yukito sprang forward and caught her. 

"What?" Yukito asked. 

"A sleep spell, as you were preparing to use. I know that you are very eager to try to work magic now, while you can, but you should conserve your strength, at least until you and Yue have done what you intend to do. Now, a little Dream, a little Illusion, a little Erase..." Fujitaka wove the magic quickly and placed it on his daughter. 

"What?" he asked at Yuki's shocked look, "I asked. The Cards let me borrow the spells. I figured we would need to hide her memory of the Ritual until you were done...that was your intention, wasn't it? Now she won't give anything away and she won't have to lie to Li-kun or Kerberos-san to keep your secret." 

"You are as skilled and subtle as Eriol-san...maybe even Clow-san!" Yukito noted. 

"Thank you!" Fujitaka smiled at him, "Put her in the chair. She'll think she simply fell asleep while we were talking. We should talk about something else." 

Yukito placed her back in her chair, crossed her arms on the table and rested her head there. He brushed the strands of hair from her face, marveling that her cheek was still as soft as when she had been a child. He smiled tenderly at her. A sidelong glance caught Fujitaka smiling at him too. 

"Both of my children are blessed that you love them," Fujitaka noted as he handed Yukito Sakura's necklace and star key, "Thank you." 

"I could no more not love them than the sun could stop shining...or the moon could stop reflecting that light," Yukito responded seriously as he placed Sakura's necklace around her neck, "They love me and I love them. No thanks are needed." 

"Still, because of that, Yue-chan has found happiness too. A happiness he never thought he could find...after Clow-san died." 

"I am as I was made to be," Yukito replied simply, "The only way I know how to be... Fortunately, it is also the way I want to be!" 

Fujitaka smiled, "Then, that is good!" A companionable silence fell between them for several long moments. 

"Touya and I are planning a vacation. Perhaps you should take a vacation yourself and join us," Yukito was saying when Sakura woke up. 

"Oh! Did I fall asleep? I'm sorry!" Sakura blushed. 

"Not to worry! Didn't I do the very same thing for a while?" Yukito laughed. 

"Yeah...when..." Sakura smiled, then stopped. 

"What is it?" Fujitaka asked. 

"No, nothing. I just felt a little worried about Yue-san for some reason. That's silly, isn't it? I mean, Yue-san has to be okay if Yukito-san is here..." Sakura seemed puzzled, as if she was trying hard to remember something. She looked up with troubled eyes. 

Fujitaka looked meaningfully at Yukito, who smiled and bowed his head. The sudden eruption of feathers and wings heralded Yue's return. 

"Sakura-chan," Yue tipped her chin up with a gentle hand, "Now, why would you worry about me? It is my job, as your Guardian, to worry about you!" 

"Yeah, it's silly, I know, but I was worried! Sorry!" Sakura replied. She looked at him for a long moment and threw herself suddenly against him in a hug. 

"Don't do anything stupid!" 

Yue pondered that it was too late to obey that command as he carefully hugged Sakura in return. 

---------------------- 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Strange Happenings 


	3. Strange Happenings

Chapter Three - Strange Happenings

Several days of Li and Kerberos sniping at each other had everyone, even the normally cheerful Fujitaka, on edge. Yue bided his time, waiting for right the opportunity to present itself. 

Sakura opened the door to her room, stretching and yawning. She closed the door behind her, thinking about how tired she was and how good her bed was going to feel. She looked up toward her bed and stepped back in alarm. 

Li sat in the bed leaning against the headboard, dressed in his pajamas, scowling with crossed arms and sporting a fiery challenge in his eyes. Kerberos, tiny as he was, sat on Sakura's pillow with the same crossed-arm posture and furrowed brow. 

"Wha...what's going on?!" Sakura asked. 

"I'm not leaving!" Kero told her hotly. 

"I'm not going anywhere either!" Li added. 

"He gets enough of your time..." Kerberos went on. 

"You had Sakura all to yourself for years..." Li interrupted. 

"Both of you!" Sakura screeched, "Shut up! I don't care! Both of you stay or both of you go. I'm going to sleep!" 

Sakura climbed over Li, moved Kero from her pillow to the side of the bed away from Li and placed herself between them. She only then realized how tenuous a position she was in. If she turned toward Li, Kero's feelings would be hurt. If she turned toward Kerberos, Li would be insulted. Sakura found herself lying stiffly on her back, between the two slightly fuming combatants and realized she wouldn't sleep a wink all night. 

A moment later, all three were deeply asleep. 

******** 

Sakura felt something odd touch her lips. She opened her eyes as she darted away. She backed into something warm and solid. 

"Kero-chan!" she demanded, "What are you doing?!" 

It seemed to her as if Kerberos, her Guardian Beast (though he looked like a little, yellow, stuffed animal), protector, guide, confidant and one of her best friends in all the world, had been avidly kissing her! 

"Nuthin'! I'm sleeping!" a voice rumbled behind her, "Keep it down willya?" 

Sakura turned her head and suddenly realized what had happened. 

"OH, NO!" Li, in Kerberos' body, jumped up to the headboard, "It happened again!" 

"Oh, geez! Am I in the brat again?" Kero, in Li's body sat up and rubbed his eyes, "This is actually kinda cool!" 

"I'm glad you're happy!" Li sniped back, "I'm in a stuffed animal body again!" 

"Hey!" Kero clenched his fists, "Don't you go ragging on my body!" 

"I hate this! I hate this! I hate this! That was the worst day of my life!" Li thrashed about in a tantrum. 

Sakura closed her mouth from her shock at the situation and thought about that. Li had really gotten the raw end of the deal that day. He hadn't been able to do anything, as he was a stuffed animal, and he had even needed to be rescued from the crane game at the toy store when a series of mix-ups had landed him there. Kero, on the other hand, though he had his share of goof ups too, had gotten to go out and be with people, something he couldn't normally do. He had also been the hero that day, as he was the one who rescued Li. 

Sakura suddenly noticed the time. 

"Oh, no! We've got to go to Tomoyo's Grand Opening! We're going to be late!" she wailed, scrambling over Kerberos (in Li's body) to get out of the bed. 

"I can't go like this!" Li cried out, looking down at himself. 

"I dunno, kid, put on a bow tie and you're quite dapper!" Kero noted with a smile. Li glared at him. 

"What Grand Opening?" Kerberos asked as he shrugged at Li's ineffectual anger. 

"Oh, Tomoyo is opening her first electronics store. It specializes in video equipment. It's been her dream for so long..." Sakura replied as she pulled a dress over her head. 

"C'mon, Syaor...uhm, Kero-chan, you've got to get ready too!" she urged. 

"Huh? Don't get me wrong, Sakura, I like Tomoyo and all, but I was going to play video games today and relax!" he replied. 

"No time for that now! You're in Syaoran-kun, you've got to be Syaoran-kun today!" Sakura told him. 

"Enough's enough, already, Sakura," Li said, swishing Kero's tail, "The joke's over. Change us back!" 

"Huh? I didn't do this!" Sakura exclaimed, "Though I wish I had! You two have been driving me crazy!" 

She stopped fixing her hair, turned and looked at both of them with a stunned expression. 

"Unless I did this in my sleep! Oh, that would be bad!" 

Li and Kerberos both shook the other's head. 

"Naw..." 

"You couldn't. Magic requires concentration and will. It's not something you can do without meaning to," Li said. 

"The kid's right. Clow wouldn't have made the Cards that easy to use, 'cause it would be dangerous!" Kero agreed. He cupped his chin in thought. Sakura thought the typical Kero expression looked really odd on Li's face. 

"Maybe this is a magical after-effect of the Change from years ago. After all, Li and I haven't slept close to each other before. We were near each other for hours last night; there might have been an unconscious resonance. That could be it," Kero noted, "You should be able to simply Change us back!" 

"Hurry, Sakura! I can't stand being in this stuffed animal body again!" Li pleaded. 

"Hey, brat! That's my body you're talking about!" Kero yelled. 

"I ought to leave you both this way until you start being nicer to each other..." Sakura pondered aloud. 

Li and Kerberos looked at each other, each seeing the panic in the other's eyes. Human Kero picked stuffed animal Li up and patted his head, "We're friends already! Change us back!" 

"Yeah, I like the Guardian Beast of the Seal...especially when it's he who is the beast!" Li promised, "...and not me!" he added under his breath. 

"Oh, okay!" Sakura relented. She pulled off her necklace. 

"Key which hides the power of stars..." the magic swirled releasing the Key as she finished the spell, "...Change Card! Release and dispel! Change!" she tapped the Card with her staff. The Card fluttered to the ground. 

Kero leaned down and picked it up, "What went wrong?" 

Li, perched on his shoulder, pointed a paw, "The Card's blank! Change is gone!" 

"What?!" Sakura snatched the Card from Kero's hand. The border and card name were there, her name was written on it too, but the picture of the Change creature was gone. 

"But...where did it go?!" 

---------------------- 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Worries   



	4. Worries

**Chapter 4 - Worries**

"This sucks!" Li stomped down the hallway in the upper level of Sakura's house, "I didn't really want to go the Grand Opening, but not because of something like this!" 

"Hey, Kerberos-san, what's up?" Yukito walked toward him and picked him up, "Why aren't you flying?" 

"Don't feel like it," Li mumbled. 

"Hmm, and you're in a surly mood! That's not usual for you, Kerberos..." Yukito smiled, "Or should I say, 'Li-kun'?" 

Li could feel his fur blush. 

"Oh, no! You know?" 

"You guys were pretty loud this morning! Although I did want to see for myself. It's hard to believe such a thing is possible, but you really are Li-kun in Kerberos' body!" Yukito turned Li in his hands inspecting him. 

"I didn't want anyone to see me this way!" Li wailed as he dropped his head. 

"Why not? I think Kerberos is cute! You're cute while you're being him!" Yukito told him. Yukito rubbed between the toy wings. Li arched his toy back in surprise at how nice it felt. 

"So, Sakura and 'Li' had to leave you behind. I'll spend the day with you so you aren't bored!" Yukito offered, "So...what do you want to do first... 'Kerberos'?" 

******** 

"Did you see the look on his face when I beat his high score! I rock!" Kerberos crowed as he and Sakura entered the house. 

"Hi! How was the Grand Opening?" Yukito asked. He rocked on his heels himself with both hands clasped behind his back. 

"Uhm...interesting!" Sakura replied, bending down to exchange her outdoor shoes for her house ones. 

"Did you enjoy it, Li-kun?" 

"Oh, yeah! Tomoyo has the most amazing electronic game set-up there...I spent the whole day playing video games I never even knew existed!" Kerberos replied. 

"I thought...video games are a waste of time?" Yukito asked innocently. 

"Uhm...well..that is..." Kerberos stammered. 

"Relax!" Yukito smiled as he brought Li out from behind his back, "I know all about it!" 

"That makes two!" Sakura told him, "Tomoyo-chan figured it out just like last time! Kero-chan is really bad at pretending to be Li-kun!" 

"Yeah, that's because the kid is really boring. Too serious too!" Kerberos replied as he blushed. 

Yukito noticed Li's wings droop at that. 

"I don't think so. You don't always have to be cheerful and manic to be fun to be around, you know," he noted. 

"Thanks, Yukito-san!" Li was gratefully surprised. 

"Anytime, Li-kun! C'mon, Kerberos-san. There's something I have to show you!" Yukito stepped forward, put Li in Sakura's hands and grabbed Kerberos' hand. 

"I don't think you're going to be too happy about it..." Yukito said as he hauled Kerberos from the room. 

"Are you okay, Syaoran-kun? I was worried! Kero-chan is fun to be with, but I have to watch him every minute! He doesn't know how to behave at all. I really missed you today!" Sakura told him as she held him out at arms length. She brought him up against her cheek before hugging him. Li was thrilled at how completely Sakura could hug him while he was a stuffed animal. Li opened his little toy arms as wide as he could trying to hug her back. 

"Oh, Syaoran-kun! I hope it isn't too awful!" Sakura said, feeling his pathetic attempt to hug her. Li noticed a tear start down her face and hastened to reassure her. 

"No! It's not really that bad! Yukito-san was so nice today and because I am just a stuffed animal right now, I forgot to get embarrassed around him like I always do!" Li replied as he tried to brush her tear away with a paw. It absorbed into his fur. Sakura laughed, knowing that it was Li's deep affinity for Moon magic that made him so fascinated with Yukito. She wondered if that might not be the root of his animosity toward Kerberos, who after all, was the embodiment of Sun magic. 

"What?!" Kerberos screeched from the other room. 

"I didn't know my voice sounded so shrill," Li muttered. 

"It doesn't usually. Kero-chan must be upset about something," Sakura told him. 

"Why you...!" Kero stormed into the room and snatched Li from Sakura's hands. 

"How could you?! It took me two years to earn that high score!" Kerberos started to squeeze Li tightly. 

"Kero-chan! Stop it! You're hurting him!" Sakura yelled trying to pull Li from Kerberos' hands. 

"Really! Is this any way for the Guardian Beast of the Clow Cards to behave?" Yue noted as he floated serenely into the room. 

"He beat my high score! In one day! He doesn't even like video games!" Kerberos yelled at the Moon Guardian. 

"I would think that you would be mature enough to understand that now you have something in common with Li Syaoran," Yue replied, "Consider: if he did not like video games he would not have spent the time to develop the necessary skills to beat your score." 

"Yeah, I suppose that's true," Kerberos admitted, easing his hold on Li. 

"Honestly, Kerberos, you more than anyone should know you can't strangle a stuffed animal to death!" Yue continued, taking Li from Kero's loosened grip, "Are you okay?" he asked in a markedly more gentle voice looking down on Li. 

"Yeah, it just...pinched a little," Li told him. 

"Good!" Yue slanted a warning glance Kerberos' way before magically folding his wings and transforming into Yukito. 

"Come on! I'm starving. Let's see what Fujitaka-san's got cooking that smells so good!" Yukito urged, still holding Li as he dashed from the room. 

"You should be hungry too, Kero-chan," Sakura told him, "and you can't simply stuff Li-kun's body with desserts! You have to eat a balanced meal!" 

******** 

"We need to talk," Kerberos grabbed Yukito's arm after dinner. 

"Certainly," Yukito agreed. 

"Not here. It's Guardian stuff," Kero shuffled his feet, "I don't want Sakura or Li to overhear..." 

Yukito smiled, "I understand. Meet me outside in ten minutes? Why don't you see if you can help with the dishes? Li-kun can't really do much the way he is and normally he helps Fujitaka-san clean up after dinner when he's here..." 

"Really? I didn't know that..." Kerberos was surprised. Yukito waved and left the room. Kero wandered into the kitchen. 

"Uhm...can I...help?" he asked awkwardly. 

"Kerberos-san! Of course! I'd appreciate it," Fujitaka replied, handing Kero a towel, "I'll wash, you dry!" 

"Oh, uhm...you know about...?" Kerberos couldn't help it. He was shy. He had hid his nature from Sakura's dad for so long only to find out that Fujitaka was actually part of Clow, his creator. Kero had never decided how that changed things between them. He usually avoided Sakura's father. 

"The switch? Yes. Ever since Eriol-kun split his power with me, I'm rather sensitive to things like that," Fujitaka responded handing the first dish to Kero, "How are you holding up? I know that Li isn't too happy about it..." 

"Oh, being human isn't bad. It's weird. I was actually talking with Yue about it a few days ago. Being human that is," Kerberos admitted. 

"Really? How so?" Fujitaka seemed genuinely interested. The gentle questioning was so like Clow's that Kerberos forgot his shyness and spoke more openly with Sakura's father than he ever dreamed he could. 

"Hmm. So your trouble is you can either be the full Guardian Beast or a simple stuffed animal. Yue-san on the other hand, can be a human if he wants, sort of, through Yukito-kun. I'm certain Clow-san didn't intend to make things hard on you..." Fujitaka noted a little while later. The dishes had been put away and they were simply talking now. 

"Oh, I don't blame Clow-san. I was made before Yue, when Clow was weaker in power. He actually made me as a stuffed animal and charged me to full power with Earthy and Firey. Yue he was able to create at his full power from the start. Yukito, as you know, came after," Kero pointed out, "On the other hand, I actually produce magic. Yue has to absorb it. There are advantages to the way I was made." 

Kero looked down at his feet, "I'm not unhappy with the way I am...it's just, sometimes...I get lonely." 

"Oh, Niko!" Fujitaka cried out, pulling Kerberos into a sudden hug, "Come and see me when you need to! You shouldn't ever be lonely in this house!" 

"'Niko'? 'Sunshine'...?! I haven't been called that since..." Kero's shock was muffled against Fujitaka's shoulder. 

"Since Clow last called you that. I know. You don't have to avoid me, Kerberos. I'm not all of Clow-san, but I do feel some of his fondness for you, and my own fondness, too. After all, you helped my daughter. I won't forget that!" 

Kerberos slipped outside a few minutes later with a lightened heart. Fujitaka was right, he wasn't Clow, but enough of the qualities that Kero had loved in Clow were there that he knew he could become friends with Sakura's father. Movement caught his eye. 

"Yue!" he called, spying the Moon Guardian. 

"Kerberos!" Yue responded politely, "You said you had Guardian concerns to discuss?" 

Sakura's bright laugh floated out as she opened a window. 

"Uhm..." Kero began uncertainly. 

Yue smiled gravely, "I can take us to a more secluded spot." Kero nodded. 

Yue stepped forward, wrapped one arm around Kerberos' shoulders and caught him up under the knees with the other arm. He sprang up into the night-time sky. 

"There," Yue said placing Kero on the moonpath, releasing him and walking a few feet away, "Now what is bothering you?" 

"I looked through Sakura's Cards. There are other Cards that are...missing aside from the Change Card," Kerberos told him. 

"I wondered about that. I wasn't certain if you had the time to think about that given what has happened to you," Yue pointed out. 

Kero was offended, "No matter what happens to me, I am Sakura's Guardian first!" 

Yue's smile had genuine warmth, "As you should be! But, you can't do much the way you are now. You can't access your own magic and you don't know how to use Li's..." 

"Huh, I hadn't thought of that. Do you think I could learn to use Li's magic?" Kerberos asked curiously. 

"There is no reason you shouldn't be able to. After all, he uses Clow's Elemental magic. You might have some problems with Water I suppose, as your aspect is Sun, but you should be able to use the Elemental Cards..." Yue replied. 

"I would never have thought of that! Li is really skilled though. I don't know if I can..." Kero seemed doubtful. 

"You aren't willing to try?" Yue asked. 

"Now, I didn't say that!" Kerberos lost himself in thought. 

"What were you saying about Sakura's Cards?" Yue finally asked him. 

"Oh, yeah! Change isn't the only Card that is blank. Sleep, Cloud, Dream, Illusion, Erase and Libra are gone too!" 

"Really?!" Yue seemed genuinely shocked by that, "Does Sakura know?" 

"I don't think so. We were in such a hurry today with Tomoyo's Grand Opening...I don't think she's really stopped to think about it. She knows that the Change is gone...Do you have any idea what is going on?! I've never seen an empty Card before! Have they rejected her?" Kerberos worried. 

"Hmm," Yue closed his eyes. The moon glow around Yue told Kerberos he was doing something, even if he didn't know what it was. 

"No. The Cards haven't rejected her. As the Judge I would know," Yue finally told him. 

"It's not like they escaped either. Sakura's name is still on them," Kero reminded Yue. 

"Then there is not much they can do that is damaging. They can't do anything Sakura wouldn't agree to." 

"What?! Li and I were Changed..." 

Yue stared balefully at him. 

"Yeah, she probably would have done it too if she'd thought of it first. I know," Kerberos admitted, "But, she might be in danger. Someone or something has done something to those seven Cards. I can't do anything to protect her the way I am...and Li can't do anything to help her in my body either. Right now, you are her only Guardian!" Kero realized. 

"We shouldn't leave her alone like this! We should go back!" Kerberos, in his agitation, sprang from the moonpath, forgetting that he was not able to fly in Li's body. 

"Kerberos!" Yue remonstrated as he dove down and caught him, "I thought of that already! Whenever I am not there, and Yukito isn't either, Fujitaka-san is watching. I also asked Touya to return early from his trip if he could..." 

"Do you think that is necessary?" 

"You, yourself said it. You and Li-kun are not able to protect her as you normally would. Something has taken the magic of some of her Cards away from her." 

"But...Li and I could wake up tomorrow and be Changed back..." Kero protested. 

"Somehow, I don't think it will be that easy. I think you should try to learn to use Li's Cards as best you can and I think Li should learn whatever he can about being the Guardian Beast. I have a feeling...this is the beginning of a test. One we can't afford for you and Li to fail!" 

Kero, in Li's body, cradled in Yue's arms, shivered. 

******** 

"Did something go wrong?!" Yue stood, with his hands on his hips and demanded a few hours later. 

Fujitaka closed the book he was reading and looked up mildly. 

"Wrong?" he asked. 

"With the Ritual," Yue clarified, "There are seven empty Cards! I have only five!" 

"No, nothing went wrong. I realized that the Cards you asked for were fairly obviously Moon-aligned Cards. If only those were missing, given what you are doing, Kerberos or Li could figure out it is you behind what is happening. I don't want to mend one rift only to open another." 

Fujitaka held out one hand as a Clow circle formed under his feet. First Libra, then Cloud appeared above his hand. 

"Both of these share the Sun aspect, and yet they are Cards that Sakura doesn't use too often. I did not want to weaken her power any more than I had to. Libra and Cloud agreed to serve as 'red herrings' for what you are doing. I will return them to Sakura when we perform the Counter-ritual." 

Yue's mouth actually fell open at Fujitaka's foresight. Finally he bowed and left the room. 

---------------------- 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Poor Li 


	5. Poor Li

**Chapter Five - Poor Li**

Yue heard a thump in the entrance hallway and floated in to investigate. Touya dropped a second suitcase next to the first while trying to hold the front door open. 

"Arigatou, Touya-kun," someone said as he stepped through the door. 

"Eriol-san!" Yue actually bumped to the ground, momentarily stunned from the air. 

"Oh, hi, Yue-chan!" Eriol beamed, "You've been stirring up trouble again, haven't you?" 

"Eriol-kun?!" Sakura squealed as she dashed into the entrance hall. She knocked Touya backwards over a suitcase. He crashed to the floor. 

"It is you! Eriol-kun! I thought I heard your voice! How long can you stay? Why are you here? It's been so long...!" Sakura latched onto Eriol's arm and dragged him into the house, "Dad will want to talk with you I'm sure..." 

"Welcome home!" Yue said sardonically as he offered a hand down. 

"Home, sweet home!" Touya replied accepting the help, "Now, what are you up to?" 

"Later, To-ya...when Eriol can listen too. I suspect that's why he's here..." Yue whispered in Touya's ear, "I'm glad you're home. Things are a little...strange right now..." 

"Things are always strange in this house. What is it this time?" Touya sighed. 

"It's best if you see for yourself..." Yue took his hand and led him into the main living room. 

Except for Eriol's presence, Touya didn't see anything too unusual. Touya reflected that even though he had just shared a long plane ride with the young man, he still wasn't used to how much Eriol had grown up. Eriol's calm, self-possessed manner didn't help, as he reminded Touya very much of Fujitaka. His father, smiling as usual, welcomed his newest guest. Sakura and Li stood in welcome too. Eriol had already found Kerberos evidently, as he held the Guardian Beast balanced across his opened palms. 

"So, 'cute relative', you've gotten yourself into quite a fix this time!" Eriol remarked, looking down fondly on the small magical creature. 

"What?!" Touya shook his head and narrowed his eyes at Kerberos in Eriol's hands. He then turned that narrowed gaze on Li standing next to his sister. 

"What is going on here?!" he demanded. 

"Li-kun and Kero-chan have been switched. We think it was the Change Card," Yue told him. 

"Well, Change them back!" Touya snapped, "This is a silly prank, Sakura!" he said severely. 

"I didn't do it, Onii-chan!" Sakura yelled, "The Change Card is blank!" 

"Blank?" Eriol asked, tossing Li lightly over his shoulder. Yue jumped forward to catch the stuffed animal before Li fell to the ground. 

Eriol turned to look at the sudden movement. 

"Oh, sorry! It's just that's what I used to do..." 

"...Way back when, when we were Clow," Fujitaka finished, "I know. I almost did the same thing! Li-kun can't use Kerberos' wings though." 

"There's no reason he can't learn. Perhaps this is why I felt I should come here..." Eriol mused. 

"You knew about this on the plane and didn't say anything?! Thanks, Eriol!" Touya said sourly, "I'm beat. I'm going to bed. When you decide to let me in on what's actually going on, let me know!" Touya stomped from the room. 

"Touya-kun was never really let in on all that Sakura-san was doing when she was capturing the Cards. Sometimes I think he feels a little hurt that no one trusted him," Fujitaka reflected. 

"Perhaps I should have told him what I knew on the way here," Eriol agreed. 

"Oh, don't worry about him. Onii-chan will be all right!" Sakura declared. Eriol smiled, hearing the talisman phrase that would make it so, "I'm more concerned about Syaoran-kun and Kero-chan! What if...what if we never find Change and they stay like this...forever?!" 

A sound suspiciously like a sob came from Yue's hands. 

"Oh!" Li's distress that he hadn't suppressed his outburst was painful to watch as he leaped to the floor and dashed from the room on all fours. Yue immediately floated after him. 

"Syaoran!" Sakura called, starting after him herself. Eriol held her back. 

"He needs a moment. Yue-chan will take care of him. I suspect he would not want you to see him...over-wrought like this," he explained. 

"Oh, Syaoran-kun!" Sakura's eyes welled with tears. Kerberos walked over and took her into his arms to comfort her. 

"Poor kid!" he said gazing over Sakura's head toward the door Li had gone through. Concern shone in his eyes. Unnoticed behind him, Fujitaka and Eriol smiled identical smiles that he was openly worried about Li. 

"Now," Eriol began, sobering suddenly, "What is this about the Change Card being blank?" 

******** 

"I can't take this, Yue! I'm so useless. It's like I'm ten again...being told that a girl with no magic heritage is more suitable to capture the Clow Cards than me, Clow Reed's descendant! And then to be switched with Kerberos again...when he hates me so much..." Li cried out. 

"Kerberos doesn't have any hate in him. Though, I admit there is some friction between you two..." Yue noted. 

"Whatever! The fact is I can't work his wings or magic, I can't use my own magic and I'm stuck in a useless, helpless body. We don't know how this happened, the one way we have to undo it is mysteriously gone...and I might be this way forever!" Li glared up at the Moon Guardian before slumping pitifully to the ground again. 

"I can't even hug Sakura this way, much less hold her or protect her..." he mumbled. 

"Have you thought that the people who you want to hold and protect the most might sometimes want to be the ones taking care of you? Yukito is very weak magically, but Touya likes protecting him, as much as I like protecting Touya..." Yue struggled to explain the interdependence of his odd relationship with Touya. 

"But I can't protect Sakura now! Haven't you realized that something or someone must be after her?! Why else is her Card gone?" Li anguished. 

"I asked Touya to come home early to help with watching over Sakura, since both you and Kerberos are...unable to Guard her," Yue began delicately. Li blushed and ducked his head. 

"You...actually think my watching out for her is a type of...Guarding?" he asked quietly. 

Yue knelt gracefully, picked Li up and looked very intently into his eyes. 

"You aren't a Clow Creature, Li Syaoran, well most of the time anyway, but yes, you watch over Sakura much as a Guardian would. Your magic is potent in its own right and I am grateful for all the help you have given Kerberos and me in our duty to Guard Sakura," Yue told him formally. 

"I always felt kind of useless...I mean it seems I wound up getting knocked out, injured or forced asleep before Sakura could complete a Capture," Li admitted. 

"I know that is because you usually made yourself a target and drew the attack. You used yourself as the shield to give Sakura the time needed to effect the Capture. And do not forget how often Yukito was rendered unconscious before you in a battle!" Yue reminded him. 

"But for now, until you learn how to be a Guardian Beast, you must not try any of those heroics. You can't be choked to death as a stuffed animal, but other things can kill you!" Yue warned, "Now is the time for you to let others protect and take care of you!" 

"So I should just...let Sakura protect me? Because I can't protect her right now?" Li asked. 

"Yes," Yue replied, "Sometimes, the best thing you can do for the people you love is to let them take care of you. Speaking of which..." 

Li's mouth dropped open as the Clow circle flared and Yue folded his wings allowing Yukito to manifest. He'd never seen the transformation this close at hand before. 

"Li-kun," Yukito cradled him gently as he stood up up, "At least for now, even I can take care of watching out for you!" 

"Th, thanks Yuki...but, I didn't want to ask Yue-san...you might be able to help...how can I let Sakura know..." Li blushed. 

"That you still love her even though you are only a 'stuffed animal'? Are you getting a feeling for what poor Kerberos must go through?" Yukito asked curiously. 

"Yeah...I guess I am..." Li realized. 

"Good! What does Kerberos do?" 

"Oh, he rides on her shoulder or in her hair, flies in her face all the time, begs her for sweet stuff to eat..." Li told him with slight disdain. 

"That's the only way Kero-chan has found to let her know...he lets her take care of him, wouldn't you say?" Yukito asked. 

"Yeah...I guess he does... Although, once, after a battle, when he was in his full Guardian Beast form, I saw him wrap his wings around Sakura as she hugged him..." Li told him. 

"So, you need to fully learn Kerberos' magic so you can become the full Guardian Beast!" Yukito decided, "Then, you can hug Sakura with your wings and support her with your massive chest while looking regal in your armor..." 

"Yeah...that would be cool!" Li agreed, "To hold her that way...just once...would make this whole mess worthwhile!" 

---------------------- 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Magical Plots   



	6. Magical Plots

**Chapter Six - Magical Plots**

Yukito carried Li into the darkened house. He tiptoed up to the bedrooms. A push on the door to the room he normally shared with Touya showed Touya completely spread out across the bed and Kerberos stretched out on a blanket on the floor. Li still couldn't get used to seeing what was actually his body this way. 

"Sakura-san is probably worried about you," Yukito whispered at the door to her room, "Why don't you sleep with her tonight?" 

"Like this?!" Li indicated his toy body. 

"I didn't say you were to do anything!" Yukito laughed quietly, "Kerberos-san boasts to Yue-san there is no feeling in the world like being hugged as a stuffed animal through the night. Why don't you go in there and see if it is true?" 

Yukito cracked the door just wide enough to Li to slip into the darkened room. Li didn't know Kerberos could see in the dark until he had jumped up onto the bed. 

He softly walked up the length of the bed, enjoying the vista of Sakura from this extraordinary perspective until he got to her head on her pillow. He reached a gentle paw out and ran it along the lashes of her closed eye. 

"Hmm? Syaoran-kun? I'm so glad you're here...I was worried!" Sakura mumbled, still half-asleep as she reached out and scooped him against her chest. She snuggled until her chin was touching the top of his head, sighed contentedly and fell asleep. Li reminded himself to tell Yukito and Yue that Kerberos was 100% right about being hugged as a stuffed animal as he fell asleep. 

******** 

"My 'cute relative' is okay?" Eriol asked. 

"He's not adjusting very easily to being in Kerberos-san's body, but he'll be okay," Yukito told him. 

"Good! I need to know what you are doing...and why!" Eriol demanded in a no-nonsense voice. 

Yukito bowed his head in submissive agreement and Yue manifested. 

"I promised Touya I would tell him too," Yue told Eriol. 

"Well then, get him. I do not want to wait until morning!" Eriol commanded him. 

Yue extended one hand, palm up and Sleep appeared above it. She smiled a welcome and bowed to Eriol before turning her attention to Yue. He locked a gaze on her for a long moment. Finally she nodded and flew out into the house. 

"You had Fujitaka perform a very dangerous Ritual," Eriol noted flatly, "You should have let me know!" 

Sleep returned and floated before Yue. He extended his hand again. She settled above it and disappeared. Very faint tendrils of power entered Yue's hand. 

"How many?" Eriol asked coldly. 

"Five," Yue answered. 

"Sustaining them could kill you." 

"They are all primary Moon Cards. Thus far, I have used Sleep twice and Change once. Fujitaka borrowed some spells from the Cards so he could cast them and help me conserve my energy. He is doing all he can to lessen the energy requirements on me," Yue explained, "Please, don't say anything to Touya! He worries too much as it is!" 

Yue floated down the hallway to Touya's room. Kerberos, in the thrall of the Sleep Card, didn't even flinch as Yue woke Touya. 

"Wha, what? Oh, Yue, you're back? How's Li? Kero told me he was upset..." Touya asked sleepily. 

"He's fine. I was going to check on him next. Come with me and I will explain what is happening," Yue commanded. 

Opening Sakura's door revealed Sakura curled up around Li most protectively. Li still had his little arms stretched out trying vainly to hug her face. 

"Aw...he's kinda cute!" Touya remarked. 

"He is really devoted to Sakura," Yue agreed urging Touya down the hallway. 

"Oh, hi, Eriol," Touya stammered as he entered the room. 

"I will explain to both of you, and ask for help from both of you," Yue told them before laying the situation out before them. 

"...so Fujitaka bound five of the Cards to me and two of them to himself to hide what I was doing," Yue finished. 

"But...why? Why did you want Sakura's Cards?" Touya asked. 

"You haven't been here lately; Kerberos and Li are both hurting from their insecurities and sniping at each other all the time. Sakura's love for Li makes Kero feel inadequate and it turns out that Li has always thought of himself as a lesser magician since he couldn't claim all the Clow Cards," Yue explained, "My taking the ones he did have from him at the time of Sakura's Judgment didn't help his self-esteem either," Yue muttered quietly. 

"That's ridiculous!" Eriol snapped, "I knew that my other half would reincarnate here, so I set the Cards here for that reason! It has nothing to do with the power or value of the magician!" 

"When they were switched the first time, Li never learned to use Kerberos' wings or any of Kero's power. Kero-chan, brash as he is, never learned how to really act like a human. He sometimes wishes he could simply be a normal human, not a Guardian Beast and not a toy. It seemed reasonable to Change them again...let them learn more about the other and settle some of their insecurities by being the other..." Yue mused. 

"It is a very Clow-like approach to solving the problem!" Eriol told him. 

"Thank you!" Yue was surprised. 

"But...?" Touya asked. 

"But, what?" 

"How did you get control of Sakura's Cards? I know you, Yue," Touya told him, "You've done something dangerous!" 

"I didn't want to tell you..." Yue hedged. 

"Tell me, Yue!" Touya demanded with a hard edge to his voice. Eriol lifted his eyebrows in surprise at both Touya's harsh command and Yue's compliance. 

"Fujitaka-san performed a Ritual for me. It rendered me into moonlight so Sakura could absorb me into her staff...then Fujitaka-san bound the five Cards to me through the staff..." Yue explained. 

"..." Touya looked hard at Yue. 

"I can see the Cards now that I know to look for them. I can see they are draining you!" 

"I do have to sustain them, yes," Yue admitted. 

"You are trying to get Kerberos to learn Li's magic and Li to learn Kero's right?" Touya demanded. 

"Yes...that's part of it...I want Li to hopefully access all of Kerberos' Guardian Beast power and transform once...and I want Kero to learn how to use Li's Elemental Cards. That way, each feels they accomplished something and both of them should appreciate the other more..." 

"Once either of them learns the other's magic your secret is out. If I can see the Cards in your aura so will they!" Touya warned. 

"Hmm," Eriol cupped his chin in thought. 

"Allow me to try something," Eriol pulled out the Moon Bell, "Kaho thought this might be useful," he explained. He handed it to Touya, then evoked his key. 

"Ring it for me, Touya-kun," Eriol commanded. Sensing the magic of the Bell, Touya brought all of his own magic into resonance with the Moon before ringing it. Eriol smiled at how quick Touya was to understand even as he shaped the moon-magic with his staff. A globe of moonlight and magic formed around Yue. Eriol shaped it and bound it to Yue's soul. 

"Now, can you sense the Cards?" Eriol asked Touya. 

"No...but it could be I'm weakened..." Touya admitted. 

"The Bell doesn't draw that much magic. I coaxed the magic into a false aura for Yue so as to hide the Cards. If you want, you can also use the aura to impart energy to Yue, but be careful! Do not drain yourself trying to help him!" Eriol warned, "Yes, I know what you did before. If you drain yourself, you will not be able to help us undo what Yue has done to himself. That's where the real danger of this Ritual lies!" Eriol warned. 

"Now...what can I do to help with Li and Kerberos?" Eriol smiled helpfully, turning toward Yue. 

---------------------- 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Flying Lessons 


	7. Flying Lessons

**Chapter Seven - Flying Lessons**

"Cards, huh?" Eriol asked as he walked up behind Kerberos, "Your entire life, bound up in and wrapped around Cards." 

"I don't mind," Kerberos responded, "I can't figure out how to make 'em work though," he admitted fanning out the Elemental Cards in his hands, "Even though I've seen the brat use them hundreds of times and Clow before that..." 

"May I?" Eriol asked politely. At Kero's nod he took the Cards, "I remember making these. These are more like tools than the Clow...uhm, Sakura Cards are. There are very specific spells bound into each card. The Clow Cards were made to become allies, friends even, each Card predisposed to help its Master or Mistress. These...are simply pieces of raw elemental magic bound in Card form. Li-kun must indeed be a powerful magician that he is able to use them as effectively as he does," Eriol explained, thumbing through the deck. 

"Really? I thought these were a lesser magic..." Kerberos stated. 

"No...just different. You know how easily Clow became bored. I...he...was always looking for new challenges. Do you have the sword?" 

"Yeah, it's right here," Kerberos brought it out. 

"And what have you done to align properly with the sword?" Eriol asked. 

"Huh?" 

"Humph...Kerberos, I aligned you to the Sun and the Cards when I made you. Li, as a human, had no such help. He aligned himself to the sword in order to access its magic. He then aligned each of the Elemental Cards to the sword. If you align yourself to Li's sword, you should be able to use the links he has already made to use the Cards," Eriol explained. 

"Hold out your hands and close your eyes," Eriol commanded. He placed the sword across Kerberos' hands. 

"Now, feel the Elemental forces around you...solid Earth underfoot, swift Wind on your face..." 

******** 

"Uhm...aren't you going to be Yue?" Li asked hesitantly. 

Yukito smiled, "I could, if you want; but I thought I could help!" 

"No offense, Yukito-san, but you don't even have wings!" 

Yukito smiled again, bent down and picked Li up. He flipped him over and stroked along the toy wings. Li shivered and arched against Yuki's hand in pleasure. 

"These? These aren't how Kerberos flies! At least not entirely...it's magic!" 

"Magic? But he doesn't...do anything, say something or cast a spell..." Li argued. 

"I know you know physics and because of that you know such small wings could never generate the lift to support even the slight weight you have now..." Yukito hefted Li's toy body a few times, "Logically, it must be magic!" 

Li waited, enjoying the stroking along his wings, and listened. 

"I can help you better than Yue-san right now because I know what it feels like to be a human," Yukito smiled, "(well, mostly!) wrapped around a core of magic. The magic in me is Moon, and the magic in you is Sun, but that really shouldn't make a difference!" 

"Sun magic?" 

"It's what animates Kerberos and gives him life. Right now, it's got to be doing that for you. He doesn't have to eat, you know. He just likes to!" 

"How do I attune...I don't have my sword or Cards or anything to use as a focus..." Li began. 

"Your body is your focus, just like mine is for Yue. The magic is inside of you!" Yukito told him. 

Li closed his eyes and sat very still for a long time. 

"I don't feel anything! Are you certain, Yukito-san?" he finally asked. 

"Yes! I think you can't feel it yet because you aren't yet in tune with the body you are in. You still think of yourself as a human trapped inside a stuffed animal, don't you?" Yukito asked in return. 

"I don't want to turn into Kerberos! I don't want to lose...myself..." Li admitted. 

"I don't lose myself when Yue-san comes forth. Granted, I am also a being of magic, not a true human as you are, but I am certain the magic can't change your mind or your soul. You will still be Li Syaoran no matter how attuned to Kerberos' body or magic you become!" Yuki reassured. 

"First you have to really admit, deep in your heart, that right now you are only a stuffed animal, a toy...stop fighting the body, Li-kun...truly be what Kerberos is..." 

******** 

"Well," Eriol waved his hand in front of his face, clearing the acrid smoke, "Not surprisingly you have Fire magic down!" 

"Master! I'm sorry!" Kerberos threw his sword down, rushed over and patted out the small fire burning on Eriol's shoulder. 

"No matter! I should have been shielding! It's a good thing Spinel wasn't here to see how careless I was being..." Eriol laughed. 

******** 

"Hoi! Yuki!" Touya's voice sounded behind him on the street. Yukito turned, saw Sakura, Tomoyo and Touya and waited for them to catch up. 

"Hi guys!" he smiled. 

"Yuki! I thought you were going to be working with Li-kun today?" Touya asked. 

"I am! He's right here!" Yukito moved his arm allowing a view of Li's head poking out over the top of the pocket of his jacket. 

"Uhm...hi guys," Li mumbled. 

Unexpectedly Touya smiled and snatched him from Yukito's pocket. 

"Hi-ya, 'Trouble'! Are you having fun yet?" he asked in a friendly manner as he patted Li's head. 

"Uhm...I guess so!" No one was more surprised than Li at Touya's friendliness. It was a well-known fact that the two of them didn't get along. 

"Spending the day in Yuki's pocket. I am _jealous_!" Touya teased, "Maybe I should ask to switch with Kero for a day or two!" 

Li thought about that. It was true that he had gotten to spend more time with Yukito than ever before, time he wasn't embarrassed about and time he didn't have to share with Sakura. He loved her, true, but sometimes it seemed as if his life and everyone else's revolved around her. Li suddenly realized that everyone was concerned about him and helping him for once. He looked up at Touya's huge, friendly face and smiled. Again, completely unexpectedly, Touya winked. 

"Must be fun being a toy!" he remarked. 

"Yeah!" Tomoyo took Li from Touya's hands, "Who would have thought that our serious Li would ever find himself being so...frivolous! I really have to design a special costume for Li-kun-in-Kerberos'-body now!" 

Her hands were gentle as she held him and stroked his left paw. Sakura took him next from her friend's hands. 

"I don't know, Tomoyo-chan. Your fashions got a little out of hand every once in a while," Sakura teased as she gently pulled Li's tail and played with the puffball at the end of it absently. 

"Are you okay, Syaoran-kun? You're not still upset, are you?" Sakura asked with worried eyes, holding him across her palms up at eye level. 

Li sat on her hands, gazed into her wide, huge, lovely, green eyes and realized that he could never see her quite this way as himself. The friendly attention from everyone he had just experienced was not something they would ever be comfortable offering to him in his own body. 

"I'm not upset anymore...though I do want to Change back. It just doesn't have to be right now. Whenever it happens is okay with me! This is actually kinda fun!" Li admitted. 

"Oh! I'm so glad, Syaoran!" Sakura abruptly smothered him with a hug. Tomoyo laughed. 

"How did you know?" Yukito asked Touya under the fuss. 

"Know what?" Touya whispered back. 

"Know what to say to help Li-kun see how much fun what has happened can be?" 

Touya smiled wryly, "I didn't. I would love to spend a day in your pocket! The kid really isn't so bad. It's good that he's not being so serious for once!" 

On cue, Li's laugh rang out. Sakura and Tomoyo were tussling over him and obviously it tickled. 

"See?" Touya said, "I haven't heard him laugh like that before!" Yukito looked at his friend and smiled. 

"You've given me a wonderful idea!" 

"Okay, okay! Give him back to me!" Yukito demanded, "We've got lessons to get back to!" he retrieved Li and placed him back in his pocket. 

Touya, Sakura and Tomoyo strolled back to their shopping. Yukito took Li to the park. There, they watched the children play. 

"Your bear looks cute, mister," a little girl finally braved approaching Yukito, "Can I hold him?" 

"Of course!" Yuki smiled, holding Li out toward the girl. He could sense, in Li's sudden stiffness, that he was terrified. 

"Oh! He is darling!" the girl gushed, hugging him tightly, "What's his name?" 

"'Li'," Yuki told her. 

"Can I play with him on the swings? Oh, please?!" 

Yukito nodded and sat back to watch the child entertain her new playmate. 

"Let's see how high you can swing, Li-chan!" the girl said, placing him on the swing and pumping it for him. She kept up a steady stream of patter, talking a mile a minute at her new friend. 

"Who is that, Dori-chan?" another little girl asked. 

"This is Li-chan. He's that nice man's over there!" she pointed toward Yukito who waved. 

"Oh, can I play with him too?!" the new girl called. Yukito smiled, granting permission. 

"Goody! He looks so huggy!" she suited actions to words and hugged Li tight. 

Yukito watched carefully as the little girls played. There wasn't much they could do that would actually hurt Li, but Li might not know that. Yukito kept an eye out that the level of play didn't become so rough that Li might give himself away by moving or talking. Finally, the game developed that Yukito had hoped for. 

"Let's see how high Li-chan can fly!" Dori decided, "Go over there and I'll toss him to you!" 

The girls giggled as Li tumbled head over tail through the air between them. Yukito reflected that there might be a special magic in the play between children and hoped that Li was not so serious that he had grown past the reach of that magic. He watched carefully as the distance between the girls grew and Li spent more time in the air. A subtle flash of magic on one throw told him that what he had hoped would happen, did. He walked over and caught Li from the air just as Li began to hover. 

"I'm sorry, girls. I have to take Li-kun home now!" he told them, "Do you want to hug him good-bye?" 

Each girl did, Dori even planting a kiss on the top of his head. 

"You were so brave, flying in the air, Li-chan!" she told him, "Thank you for letting us play with him, mister!" 

Yukito held Li up next to his ear as if he was listening to something Li was saying, "Li-kun thanks you for playing with him too! Good-bye!" 

He placed Li in his pocket again and walked out of sight between the trees. 

"Are you all right?" he asked, bringing Li up to eye level. 

"You knew!" Li accused him. 

"Knew?" 

"You knew I was just about to fly! Why did you stop me?" Li demanded. 

"A stuffed animal can't fly where it can be seen. What happened?" 

"Oh, you were watching..." Li hedged. 

"No, tell me from your point of view," Yukito insisted. 

"They were both so nice, treating me as if I were real, even though they didn't know that I am. I could feel something in them. They wanted me to fly so badly...it was almost as though I had to try for them..." Li explained. 

"Sun magic is giving," Yukito told him softly, "You almost flew because they wanted you to. Didn't you feel something...glowing...inside of you, while you were in the air?" 

"I...I did...almost..." Li stammered. 

"I want you to fly, too," Yukito told him very seriously and slightly wistfully. Li looked at his face sharply. 

"I...I feel...warm and bubbly and...happy all of a sudden!" Li told him. 

"Good! Little Li, that is the Sun magic welling in you. Touch it...and you can fly!" Yukito told him. 

Li floated right out of his hand. 

"Oh! So light! I'm light and free! Look, Yukito-san! I'm flying! And it isn't a spell, I'm not fighting against gravity to stay in the air..." Li took off into the forest, "This is wonderful!" he called back behind him. 

Li reveled in the power of his newly discovered flight, dodging around trees and branches as he darted through the woods. Finally, he calmed down a little. The happy glow of power was still in him, but it was not quite so overwhelming. Abruptly he wondered where he had left Yukito. 

He slowed, stopped and hovered. 

"That really wasn't very nice of me!" he realized aloud. 

"No, but I'm sure you will be forgiven!" 

Li pivoted in the air to see Yue hovering behind him. Yue held out a hand for him. Li obediently came to rest in it. 

"Can I admit to you that your stuffed animal body corners through the trees much better than my human-shaped form does?" Yue asked, "That was quite a first flight, Li! It is time for us to go home." 

Li realized it was dark as Yue scooped him in to carry him home. He snuggled deeper into the crook of the Moon Guardian's arm and fell asleep. 

"Wake up, Li," Yue commanded a short while later, "Eriol wants you to see something!" 

Li poked his head over Yue's arm and rubbed his eyes. 

"Oh, sorry!" he noticed they were in the living room of Sakura's house. Eriol and Kerberos were the only other ones here. 

"Not to worry. You have had a full day! You can go to sleep soon," Yue told him gravely. 

"What do you want me to see?" Li asked Eriol. 

"Show him, Kerberos!" Eriol commanded. 

Kerberos held up a Card balanced between two fingers. With two fingers extended on his other hand, he shaped the magic of the Card. He evoked a single flame, causing it to dance on the edge of the Card. 

"Wow! Pretty! Really nice control too!" Li admired, impressed in spite of himself. 

"Yeah, watch and learn, kid!" Kerberos told him jauntily. 

"Grr!" Li growled before darting from Yue's arm, hovering before Kerberos and blowing the flame out. 

"I compliment you and you insult me!" Li shouted in Kero's face. 

"Hey! That wasn't very nice!" Kero shouted back. 

"Well done, Yue!" Eriol complimented under the uproar. 

"Actually, it was Yukito who helped him. Yukito and two little girls," he clarified. 

"Children's magic?! I hadn't thought to use it..." Eriol pondered. He strode over and took Li from the air. 

"May I commend you on your ability?" he told Li, "Not only did you learn how to fly, you have also started accessing Kerberos' greater magic as well. There is no way to simply blow out an elemental flame. You must have suppressed it with magic!" Eriol noted. 

"Really? I did?" 

"He did? Nuts! It took me days to figure out how to dispel magic like that..." Kero complained, "Nice going, kid!" 

Kerberos rocked back at Li's hostile look. 

"No, I mean it! You're learning fast!" 

"Hmm. Then I declare tomorrow a holiday...a play day! No one tries to learn anything tomorrow. Let's go to the beach!" Eriol declared. 

---------------------- 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Chapter Eight - Soul Wings 


	8. Soul Wings

**Chapter Eight - Soul Wings**

"Okay, I lied. Sakura, you get to learn something...that is, if you will let me borrow three of your Cards," Eriol said after they had set up umbrellas and laid out towels to recline on. 

"Sure! Which three?" Sakura pulled her Deck out from her beach bag. 

"Uhm, Shield, Mirror and Create," Eriol decided. Sakura handed them over. 

"And Li, Kerberos, may I borrow the sword?" Eriol asked both carefully to avoid the issue as to whose sword it really was. It was Li's, but Kerberos had it on involuntary loan as Li couldn't use it. They nodded in unison. 

"Thank you!" Eriol bowed. 

"Okay, now everyone spread out from that driftwood there, to the shore there and the beach head there. Play for a few minutes doing the normal things you would do on a beach," Eriol directed, holding up one glowing Card. 

Yukito and Touya took the beach ball and went into the water, Tomoyo picked up a bucket to look for shells, Fujitaka began digging a fire pit for cooking their food later and Sakura grabbed Kerberos' hand and ran down the beach. 

"Oh, 'cute relative' you'll have to stay with me and not move for a few minutes. I'm setting the vision now," Eriol told him as he picked Li up and put him on his shoulder. Li draped his tail down Eriol's back to serve as an anchor and went still. 

"Very good! You do learn fast!" Eriol approved as he watched the play on the beach for several minutes. 

"That should be enough," he finally decided. "Would you go and get everyone back, Li-kun?" he asked. Li darted off, letting each person know they could return. 

"Now that Create knows what I want it to show, Shield and Mirror can set the boundaries," Eriol told them. 

"Shield, Mirror, Create! Protect this area from unwary eyes! Conceal the truth and show the world only what I want them to see! Release!" Eriol tossed the three Cards into the air and triggered them with the sword. The three Card spirits whirled up and formed a huge dome over the area Eriol had specified. 

"So anyone outside the dome will see..." Fujitaka began. 

"...the vision of people playing on a beach," Sakura finished. 

"Yes. Even if they come within the Dome that is what they will see, because of Mirror and Shield sets the area so that the Create Card can function all around us," Eriol explained. 

"Neat! I didn't know you could use three cards for one spell at once like that!" Sakura said. 

"If you can't now, you will soon. The more powerful you grow, the more you can do with them," Eriol tousled her hair and smiled at her. 

"I assume that we are not going to simply play on the beach like normal people then, since you set a magic barrier up," Tomoyo noted. 

"We are going to play," Eriol told her, "Just in a different way!" he held up a different Card. The Clow Circle on the back was iridescent. 

"Ooh! Pretty!" Sakura turned Eriol's hand over so she could watch the light play across the back of the Card. 

"This is a new Card I devised. It's more like one of the Elemental Cards in that it houses a spell, not a Card spirit, but it's not just an Elemental attack. I call this card 'Soul Wings'," Eriol told them. 

"'Soul Wings'?" Touya asked. 

"Yes, it has something of Fly and a new magic element I have been studying..." 

"We should compare notes," Fujitaka muttered. "I think I have been researching the same material..." 

"What does it do?" Sakura asked. 

"Just as its name implies. It evokes wings of magic...that is wings you can fly with, but also wings that tell you something about the person from the shape of the wings or what they are made of..." Eriol explained. "I've been studying the soul in my magical research lately." 

"Uhm...okay..." Sakura seemed unsure, "The ability to fly is useful, but why tie it into the soul like that?" 

"You'll see! I see you, trying to hide back there! For once, you will be first! Front and center, Tomoyo-san!" Eriol called. 

She cringed behind Touya until Yukito encouraged her to face Eriol. 

"I don't want to be first! I'm never first..." Tomoyo protested faintly, kicking at the sand. 

"I know. That is why I insist you be first now, sweetheart," Eriol told her affectionately. Tomoyo looked up in surprise. 

"Yes, even though you don't have any magic of your own, I respect you and consider you a friend. You have always helped Sakura...so you get to be first!" 

"O, okay...it won't...hurt, will it?" Tomoyo asked hesitantly. Eriol stepped toward her and laid a hand on her cheek as he looked with gentle intent into her worried eyes. 

"I'd never hurt you. Cast you into a never-ending sleep if Sakura had failed to break my spell, yes," Eriol admitted as he rolled his eyes, "but hurt you? No!" 

Eriol set Tomoyo in front of him, tossed the Card into the air and tapped it with the sword. 

"Tomoyo! Soul Wings! Release!" 

The magic circle was light and iridescent, reaching up into a hemisphere that briefly concealed Tomoyo from view. It melted down and disappeared into the ground again. Tomoyo extended the wings the Card had given her. 

"Oh, Tomoyo-chan! They're lovely!" Sakura breathed, reaching forward and touching one edge. 

"That tickles!" Tomoyo told her. "What do they look like? I can't quite see..." 

Eriol stepped forward as if he would do something, only to be checked by Touya's hand on his shoulder. 

"Allow me. I suspect you will be casting quite a few spells today. I can manage a simple mirror," Touya told him. Eriol bowed his head in agreement. Touya's spell made a full length mirror shimmer in the air. 

"Oh! They're lace and ribbons and bells...!" Tomoyo admired her image. "This is fun! How did you know? Thank you, Eriol-kun!" 

"Your soul knew. I just cast the spell," Eriol told her with a smile. 

"Ladies first, Sakura!" Eriol told her as he cast the spell on her. The magic cleared to show Sakura's wings to be exactly like the white feathered ones the Fly Card gave her. 

"Oh, no different!" Tomoyo was slightly disappointed. 

"Yeah, but," Sakura flexed one wing a little, "These I can feel! As if they are part of me!" 

"Kerberos!" Eriol called next. 

"I have wings!" Kerberos argued. 

"Your body has wings. Let's see what your soul has!" Eriol tagged him with the spell. 

"You have always liked making me look ridiculous!" Kero complained a moment later, flexing the little toy wings in front of the mirror. "Li's body looks stupid with my wings!" 

"You do have two sets of wings, you know," Eriol pointed out, "You can't become the Guardian Beast but you should be able to wear those wings if you want!" 

"Hmm, let me try..." Kerberos closed his eyes and scrunched up his face. The Clow circle formed and the toy wings sprouted into his full-grown Guardian wings. 

"Much better!" Kero decided, "Pretty cool-lookin' huh, kid?" he asked Li. Li only nodded, impressed with how Kero appeared. He wondered what his own "soul wings" would look like. 

"You're next!" Eriol pointed at Touya, "Touya! Soul Wings! Release!" 

The magic hemisphere cleared to reveal a huge cloud of feathers. They swirled and disappeared as Touya opened his new wings. His wings looked just like Yue's, but where Yue's were purest white, Touya's were deepest black. Unlike the girls or Kerberos, Touya was actually floating on the power of his wings. As they opened fully everyone noticed another change. 

Touya's swim trunks had changed into an outfit that was an exact duplicate of Yue's, except that it was black and silver rather than white and blue. 

"You do like altering spells, Touya-kun!" Fujitaka smiled, "Clow would have had either a best friend or a bitter rival in him!" he told Eriol, "Maybe both!" 

Eriol's jaw dropped in amazement, "I didn't realize there was that much power in this Card! Touya's become a..." Eriol searched for the words, "...a Dark Yue!" 

"'Dark Yue'?" Touya echoed floating nearer, "I like that! You don't mind do you, Yuki?" 

"Mind? No! I...he...Yue, looks...like that?!" Yukito stammered, slightly shy in front of this altered Touya. Touya pulled Yuki to stand in front of the mirror. Even he was slightly surprised at how very like Yue he appeared. Only his face was still his own...and even then his eyes... 

"Yes, except he's got insanely long silver hair, white wings and a white outfit," Touya pointed out the differences in the mirror. Yukito turned from the mirror and looked at his best friend. He bent down and picked up the ends of Touya's black hair from the ground. 

"'Insanely long hair'?" he teased Touya. 

"Yeah...oh, man! I hate long hair!" he exclaimed, "On me that is," he amended at Yukito's look, "I like it on Yue well enough!" 

"I wonder what your wings look like?" Touya asked Yukito as he slanted a meaningful look toward Eriol. Eriol bowed and Touya floated back to give Yukito center stage. 

"They'd just look like Yue's. You don't have to..." Yukito protested. 

"Not necessarily," Eriol remarked holding back the sword for a moment, "You are different from Kerberos in that your soul is different from Yue's. You aren't Yue and you aren't simply a scaled down version of him either." 

"And who knows? If you do have Yue's wings maybe you'll have his hair and outfit too. Then you can see what he looks like...sort of," Touya pointed out. 

"Yukito! Soul Wings! Release!" Eriol commanded. 

This time the magic cleared to reveal a floating globe of moonlight. Fujitaka started in shock, wondering if Eriol's spell based on Yukito's soul had broken the spell he placed on Yue's soul in the Ritual. A dismayed silence lasted until the moonlight parted and Yukito emerged. He opened his eyes. 

"That was interesting," he said, "For a moment I thought I actually saw Yue...but I couldn't have...could I?" 

"I don't know. Wow, Yuki! You have the best wings of all!" Touya told him. 

"Really? Are they like Yue's?" 

"Nuh-uh! They are definitely all yours!" Touya replied, "Come on, look!" 

Yukito let Touya haul him in front of the mirror again. His swim trunks had stayed the same, but the most amazing wings reached up in a shimmering wave from his back to curve gracefully above his head and taper to ends near his ankles. 

"What are they?" he finally asked. 

"May I?" Touya asked holding out a hand. Yukito nodded. Touya ran a gentle touch along the edge. 

"Solid moonlight!" he breathed. "They are so awesome!" 

"Do you really think so?" Yukito asked, looking warmly and trustingly up at Touya, as the Dark Yue, for the first time. 

"I'd never lie to you!" Touya promised. "I might look different, but I'm still the same. I'm not like you and Yue...this is just a change in appearance..." 

"I know that but...To-ya...how did you alter Eriol's magic that way?" Yuki was troubled, "...and why?" 

"I don't know...but let's just enjoy the day. It will be over, the spell will be banished soon enough and then you and I won't have wings, either black feathers or silver moonlight anymore. Let's not worry about things that don't matter!" Touya declared. 

"Y, you're right..." Yukito hesitantly agreed. 

"Fujitaka! Soul Wings! Release!" Eriol called behind them. 

"No, Eriol-kun! There is really no need...!" Fujitaka had time to protest before the magic concealed him. 

All eyes were on the clearing magic and everyone held his or her breath as Fujitaka's wings were revealed. 

"What?" Sakura asked, stepping toward her father. 

"Ivy! Peach blossoms! Pinks and sakura blossoms too!" she exclaimed. "Other flowers as well! Otoosan, your wings are a garden!" she laughed. 

"All my favorite flowers," Fujitaka agreed. "So your spell brings out..." 

"The secret meaning and heart of the soul...I think," Eriol finished. 

"Your family is most important to you; your whole life is devoted to them, so to you, symbolically, their flowers bear you up," Eriol guessed. 

"And Tomoyo creates beauty in how she puts ordinary things together with cheerful effort. Her wings reflect that," he continued with a smile, pointing to the delighted young woman. 

"Sakura's wings show her pure drive to make everything 'all right' so they aren't any different than her Fly Card wings because that is how she uses the Card anyway," Fujitaka mused. 

"Kerberos is Kerberos is Kerberos, a Guardian through and through no matter what body he's in," Eriol laughed. 

"What about Touya-kun? That took you by surprise!" Fujitaka asked. 

"It probably shouldn't have. I know he has the ability to reshape magic to suit his needs...though I am not certain what the significance of Dark Yue is. Maybe a suitable companion for Yue as Touya is for Yukito?" Eriol looked Touya up and down again in solemn approval. "I missed a bet with Ruby Moon! Dark Yue would have been an appropriate Guardian for me!" 

"And Yukito's moonwings show us that he is strongly Moon-aligned in his own right, apart from Yue. Wings of pure moonlight..." Fujitaka concluded. 

"Hmm. That strong an alignment..." Eriol cupped his chin and looked up at Fujitaka. 

"I catch your meaning..." they walked off down the beach, talking about magic. 

"I'm going to try something," Touya told Yuki, "but I need to get that Card from Eriol..." 

Yukito looked to where Fujitaka and Eriol had paused their walking to hold an animated discussion. Eriol still held the Card, but loosely at his side. Yukito looked around. Sakura, Tomoyo and Kerberos had wandered down further on the beach tentatively trying out their new wings. He spied something on one of the towels. 

"Do you want to help us?" Yukito asked as he crouched by Li. 

"Me? What can I do?" Li was surprised, but grateful that Yukito had remembered he was here. He was getting kind of bored and lonely. 

"Go and get that Card from Eriol!" Yukito smiled, "You're small enough and quick enough to get it away and bring it to Touya..." 

"Is it wise to make Eriol mad?" Li asked. Touya reached down and picked Li up. He scowled at him eye to eye. 

"Is it wise to make me mad?" Touya demanded. 

Li darted off toward Eriol in a panic. 

Yukito laughed, "Touya, that was evil! That poor kid..." 

"I'll apologize later!" Touya promised with a smile. A moment later, Li dropped the Card in the air above Touya and darted around to press against Yukito's other side. Yukito could feel the tiny toy body shaking with fear and realized that Touya had intimidated Li into doing something against Eriol. From his intense reaction, Yukito suspected that Li was frightened of Eriol for some reason. Touya reached up and caught the Card. 

"I won't let either of them do anything to you no matter how this ends. If needed, I'll have Yue show up to protect you..." Yukito promised in a whisper. The shaking eased. 

"Li?" Touya called softly. "How do you release the magic of your Cards without your sword? I've seen you do it..." 

"I...I...I..." Li stammered as he floated into Touya's sight. 

"Li-kun," Touya sighed as he reached for the hovering Li who darted instinctively away, "Do I really appear to be that evil?!" Touya asked Yukito in exasperation. 

"No...except when you scowl!" 

"I'm not going to hurt you. I was only teasing! You were the only one who could get the Card for me and you are the only one who can tell me how to release the spell. I don't think Eriol will be too upset...and if he is...he'll have to face Dark Yue!" Touya boasted with a laugh. 

"And then the real one," Yukito added calmly. 

"Come on, it's a prank. Eriol-san does have a sense of humor!" 

"O, okay. Focus on the Card...what aspect is it?" Li asked. Touya closed his eyes. Li landed on his shoulder and glanced around Touya's wing toward Eriol and Fujitaka to make certain they were still busy with their discussion. He noted that Fujitaka actually brushed Eriol's hand with a wing tip to emphasize a point. Evidently, the soul wings really did feel like a part of you. Li wished that Eriol hadn't overlooked him when casting the spell, but he was too proud to say anything. 

"Wind...Air..." Touya decided. 

"For Air I think of clouds...how they change as they move across the sky... Think about that until the spell in the Card is pushing at your mind...once it does, let it build for a moment, then..." Li explained, pulling his attention back to Touya. 

"Eriol! Soul Wings! Release!" Touya called. 

Eriol turned and smiled at Li, who then knew he hadn't been stealthy enough; Eriol had wanted him to pilfer the Card. The magic surrounded Eriol, then cleared to reveal his black butterfly wings. 

"I knew you would insist on finding out what my soul wings are," Eriol remarked as he walked toward Touya, Yukito and Li. Up close there were blue, green and purple marking on the wings as well. 

"And my wings show my fascination with change and the idea of emerging into a new life...I'm just a little tired of the butterfly motif..." Eriol admitted. 

"Okay...Touya-kun, why don't you, Fujitaka-san and Yukito-san join Sakura-chan and the others. You haven't even tried your wings yet! Here I go and bring this new Card all the way from England and no one seems to care..." Eriol groused. "I'll stay with Li-kun!" 

"I bet you're feeling a little left out," Eriol said as the others walked off. "You couldn't be in the masking spell, I can't use the Soul Wings Card on you because the form you are in already has wings..." 

"I could have stayed at home," Li agreed, gratified that Eriol had considered his feelings, "but it was fun taking the Card from you for Touya!" he grinned. 

"It took me a moment to realize it was gone. You really are good with your wings!" Eriol told him. "Well, Kerberos' wings," he amended. 

"Do you know what else Kero-chan can do while in the toy form?" Eriol asked. 

"No."   
  
"Ah. Well, if you learn enough of his magic, I think you might be able to manifest as the full Guardian Beast. Kerberos can fly, dispel magic (you already know that, 'cause you did it with the magic flame!), sense magic and levitate objects." 

"Oh, pardon the interruption..." Tomoyo walked nervously toward them. 

"Not at all! What is it?" Eriol asked kindly. 

"Uhm...I have something for Li-kun..." Tomoyo began hesitantly. "No, never mind. It's silly anyway!" 

Eriol grasped her hand to check her flight. 

"Tomoyo...I could go away for a bit, if that would make it easier for you," Eriol offered. 

"Uhm..." Tomoyo's eyes begged him to, even though she wouldn't actually come out and ask. 

Eriol smiled and took to the air on the butterfly wings he still wore. He spiraled expertly up to where everyone else was playing in the air. 

"Uhm, Li-kun...you'll probably think it's silly..." Tomoyo twisted her hands. 

"Where's your camera?" Li asked suddenly, noticing that her hands were empty. 

"Oh!" Tomoyo smiled, much more comfortable with this topic. "It's on the blankets. I set it to auto focus on Sakura and record. Once in a while the camera automatically focuses on someone else or goes to a wide angle. It's a program I wrote..." 

"That's very clever. You really are an expert with recording equipment, aren't you?" 

"Well, I don't know about that..." Tomoyo demurred. 

"Anyway, I have something for you!" Tomoyo reached into her beach bag and brought a package out. She opened it and showed Li the outfit she had made for him. 

It was a scaled down replica of his green battle costume. 

"I had so many shots of you wearing your battle robes on my tapes it was easy to make this for you last night!" Tomoyo told him. "Come on! Let's see how it looks!" 

Deftly Tomoyo helped Li into the outfit that was a perfect fit. Li was astounded at how accurate to his real robes it was. He told Tomoyo of his amazement at her skill. 

"Oh...I can't tell you how many costumes I made for Kerberos! I could sew an outfit for him in my sleep!" she laughed. 

"Th, thank you, Tomoyo. This is..." Li's toy throat closed, almost as if he would cry if he continued to speak. 

"Don't worry about it!" Tomoyo noticed his difficulty. "I thought...having something at least somewhat familiar would help...it can't be easy...what you are going through...but I'll help any way I can!" 

Overwhelmed, Li flew up and tried to hug her face. 

"Li-kun," Tomoyo stroked the back of his toy head, "You'll be okay! Sakura will find the Change Card and undo this soon!" 

Li caught her hand between his two paws and rather formally kissed the back of it. 

"Thank you, Tomoyo! I won't forget your kindness!" 

Eriol landed nearby and walked up. 

"Are you done with your discussion, or should I go away again?" he asked politely. "Nice costume, Li-kun! Did you make it, Tomoyo-chan?" 

"Tomoyo thought it would help me...I love it!" Li told him vehemently as Tomoyo blushed. 

Eriol laughed and held up his hands, "I love it too! The colors compliment your yellow fur perfectly! Are you ready to resume your lesson, or..." 

"I did what I came here to do," Tomoyo admitted. 

Eriol kissed her cheek, "You did well! Go and enjoy your wings!" he suggested. 

Li and Eriol watched as Tomoyo beamed and took off to join the others. 

"She has such a big heart," Eriol commented, looking after her, "Someday I hope she finds what she needs..." 

"Now! About your lessons!" 

Eriol spent several hours with Li, teaching him how to sense magic with Kerberos' ability and then drilling him using a deck of Cards Li had never seen. Li was amazed at the diversity of spells in the Cards. After a while, Eriol had him try to levitate the Cards from his hand. It was hard to say who was more pleased when Li succeeded. 

"You know, 'cute relative', you shouldn't be frightened of me. I don't have any reason to try to hurt you," Eriol remarked out of the blue, sitting down, bringing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. 

"I, I'm not...at least not all the time. It's only when I remember that you are Clow..." Li admitted. 

"Only part of Clow. You aren't frightened of Fujitaka-san," Eriol noted. 

"I, I knew him as an ordinary man before you gave half of your power to him. I know he is part of Clow too...but you seem more like Clow to me!" Li actually landed on Eriol's hand as he tried to explain. 

"All of my life, all I wanted was to meet Clow somehow, to know why he did what he did...I wanted his Cards so I could understand him..." 

"And Sakura claimed the Cards instead. You became accustomed to that, started to fall in love with her...then I showed up," Eriol realized. 

"Yeah. I could tell there was something different about you from the start. You were also being so nice to Sakura...I guess to throw her off that you were also attacking her..." 

"No. Actually, I like Sakura very much," Eriol admitted softly. 

"Not that way! You don't need to worry!" Eriol smiled at Li's involuntary bristle, "But she is easy to be nice to. You are more of a challenge, but a challenge I hope to meet. You are my 'cute relative' and I am fond of you too!" 

"Oh, this Change between you and Kerberos is frustrating! I wanted to see your soul wings!" Eriol growled. 

"Yeah, me too..." Li sighed. 

"Well, then, learn all you can about being a Guardian Beast and figure out what you and Kero-chan must do to Change back. I promise I'll use the Soul Wings Card again once you are your normal self!" Eriol offered. 

"That would be...cool," Li decided, shining Kerberos' toy eyes up at his... "'My esteemed ancestor'?" he ventured timidly. 

Eriol rolled his eyes, "Makes me feel so old..." 

"How about...'cute ancestor'?" Li asked. 

"If you must..." Eriol grumbled, but his eyes sparkled with quiet delight as he smiled. 

---------------------- 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Moon Arrows 


	9. Moon Arrows

**Chapter Nine - Moon Arrows**

Something immeasurably dark prowled in a darkness only slightly less intense than itself. It had the patience only an immortal being possesses. It knew that something, someday would break the balance that kept it chained. On that day... 

...it would break free and destroy all the workings of the magician who chained it... 

...Clow Reed. 

******** 

"So, Kin, how goes it?" Yue asked. 

"Thought you would stay with the brat today," Kero muttered. 

"No, Eriol-san wanted to spend some more time with him. I want to spend today with you. What do you think about being human now?" 

"It's interesting to access Elements apart from Sun..." Kerberos admitted, "Though harder than I imagined. I always thought the Elemental Cards were an easier magic to use. Li is really good at it, and much faster changing between the Elements than I'll ever be!" 

"Have you tried to use any of Li's other magic abilities aside from the Elemental Cards?" Yue asked him. 

"Naw...that's got to be part of Li and not something I could learn to do," Kerberos reasoned. 

Yue shook his head. "I think Li-kun has trained his magic into his form in the same way your magic is part of your form. He isn't able to perform any of his magic while he is switched with you. I suspect his innate magical abilities are in you right now." 

"..." Kerberos pondered. "If you're right how do I..." 

"I don't know. Let's work together and see if we can figure it out!" Yue offered. "After all, you helped me determine what abilities I had when I was first made..." 

"Yeah. As I recall, it was by attacking you..." Kero realized. 

"Yes...but only after you asked Clow to place me under the Shield Card's protection. Let's find Sakura!" Yue suggested. 

"But...is it really necessary?" Kero hesitated. 

"What are you worried about?" Yue demanded. 

"I dunno...some of your attacks are really powerful! They look like they'll really hurt..." 

"Then you should learn Li-kun's magic fairly quickly then!" Yue replied flatly. "I think you have to learn this!" 

"Do we have the Moon bossin' the Sun around?! What's up with this?" Kero griped. 

"No...you aren't the Sun right now...'Li'," Yue retorted. "Come on!" 

Yue threw his arm around Kerberos' shoulders and dragged him off to find Sakura.   
  
"Just don't use that Moon Arrow attack of yours..." Kero begged. 

"Are you kidding?! That's the first one I intend to use! What better way to teach you how to defend against magic attacks than to focus one on you!" Yue laughed. 

******** 

"These Cards are really complex, aren't they?" Li asked peering over Eriol's shoulder. 

"These? I suppose so," Eriol replied fanning the Deck out, "The soul is a very subtle thing to affect with magic." 

"How...?" Li shook his little toy head, "Never mind!" 

"No...what were you going to ask?" Eriol insisted. 

"How do you...make Cards...in the first place? I always wondered..." Li admitted. 

"Hmm! It's not easy...and you'd think that I would have gotten it out of my system with the two Decks I made while I was Clow..." Eriol laughed. "It just seems to be something that I like to do. It takes a great deal of magical energy and control to make a Card..." 

"Hmm..." Li floated quietly in the air before landing on Eriol's shoulder.   
  
"Well...what does this Card do?" he finally asked, pointing to the top Card of the Deck. 

Eriol looked deeply into Li's stuffed animal eyes for a long moment before smiling a secret smile. Li blushed. 

"This?" Eriol finally responded, "Oh this one is interesting...but exhausting to use...almost as bad a magical drain on the magician as the Time Card..." 

******** 

"So...how was it today?" Fujitaka asked as he set dinner in front of the gathered group. "What did all of you do?" 

"Oh, Yue tried to kill me," Kerberos said off-hand as he helped himself to some potatoes. 

"Stop exaggerating!" Yukito told him. "That's not what happened!" 

"So tell us what did happen," Touya suggested as he piled steamed vegetables on Yukito's plate. 

"Yue decided that Kero-chan could learn Li's personal magic best if he had some reason to..." 

"And that reason?" Touya pressed. 

"Well, Yue did focus some attacks on him..." Yukito admitted. 

"Sounds like Yue tried to kill Kerberos to me!" Touya noted. 

"Kero-chan was protected by the Shield Card, Onii-chan!" Sakura exclaimed. 

"You trusted your life to Sakura? You're pretty brave, Kero!" Touya teased. "Ouch!" 

"Sakura, don't kick your brother under the table!" Fujitaka smiled. 

"Oooh!!" Sakura fumed. 

"Did you actually learn Li-kun's magic?" Eriol asked, accepting the platter from Kerberos.   
  
"Well..." Kerberos flushed. "Yeah, I did! At least some of it..." 

"And you are still alive..." Eriol noted. 

"Yeah...But look!" Kerberos pulled back his sleeve and showed everyone an angry red burn that ran the length of his forearm. "Yue hit me! This really hurts!" 

"Ouch! That is rather nasty!" Eriol took Kerberos' arm and examined the burn. "One of his arrows, right?" 

"Hmmm," Eriol cupped his chin and stared at Yukito closely. It took Yukito a moment to realize he was being scrutinized and stop shoveling food in his mouth. 

"What?" he finally asked. 

"Yue-san hurt Kerberos..." Eriol began. 

"Yes...I know he's sorry about it..." Yukito admitted. 

"How would you like to 'make it right' and heal Kerberos' wound?" Eriol asked with a smile. 

"I...I can't...I haven't any ability..." Yukito stammered, wondering why Eriol was putting him on the spot like this. Right now, he actually had the potential to work a few spells, through the five Sakura Cards Yue now controlled, but Eriol knew that it was important to keep that fact a secret from three people at the table. As far as he knew, healing wasn't one of the spells he could potentially access from Sakura's Cards anyway. 

"Are you sure of this Eriol-san?" Fujitaka asked quietly. 

"I think it can work," Eriol replied. 

He turned back toward Yukito, "Fujitaka-san and I never realized how deep your personal alignment with the Moon is. We have always known you were Moon-aligned, but we thought it was because of Yue." 

"Both the Moon and Sun have several aspects," Fujitaka took up the explanation. "Clow used the more positive, helpful and friendly aspects of the Sun to make Kerberos and the more negative...uhm, militant and hidden aspects of the Moon to make Yue." 

"It doesn't mean that Yue is always hostile...or that Kerberos is only helpful, just that their natures are oriented away from each other. It's why Kerberos is so cheerful most of the time and Yue is normally so..." 

"Testy?" Touya supplied. 

Fujitaka smiled his agreement, "It's not that he doesn't feel helpful and friendly...it's just harder for Yue-chan to express it. His nature is focused more on attacking a threat or defending against it...not explaining and teaching as Kero-chan does." 

"Why did Clow-san make them opposites like that?" Li asked as he darted toward Eriol. 

"Kerberos was made first, after all, without the Sun the Moon can't shine. The Sun has great destructive potential as Fire is the most destructive Element," Eriol explained. Li and Kerberos both nodded. 

"Clow wasn't certain exactly what would happen when he tried to harness all that power magically into one place in Kerberos. He didn't want to make a creature too destructive, in case Kerberos ever decided to harm people. Therefore, Clow used the gentler aspects of the Sun's power to make him, so that he would be helpful and friendly; rather than the harsher powers, the ones that can hurt and burn. It's not that Kerberos can't attack with his power, he can draw on the full power of Earth and Fire, it's just that he is more comfortable helping and guiding rather than attacking," Eriol continued. 

"Yeah, that's what Clow told me when he made me," Kerberos agreed. "I have lots of power, but I don't like to use it to attack or hurt anyone unless someone I care about is threatened." 

"Yue is the opposite. He is more inclined, by the nature Clow gave him, to defend with all of his might, and attack readily in defense of his Master or Mistress, once they have earned his respect. Since those attacks are based on more gentle Elements, Wind and Water, it balances against his willingness to use those attacks more quickly than Kerberos would," Eriol finished. 

"So, you could say that Yue is more apt to respond with hostility...but that hostility is calibrated by the power it is based on," Touya noted. 

Eriol lifted both eyebrows in surprise, "Yes! A very astute way to put it! Kerberos can draw on more powerful Elements, but is inclined not to, and Yue is more likely to use the full power of the weaker Elements he can access. Ultimately..." 

"Ultimately, they are in perfect balance with each other, despite the power differences of their basic Elements," Fujitaka continued. "It was very important that the Sun and Moon Guardians of the Clow Deck be balanced, just like the Light Card and the Dark Card must be balanced with each other." 

"Why?" Sakura asked. 

"I, I don't remember," Fujitaka admitted. "Do you?" 

"No...actually I don't. Maybe it was just Clow being a perfectionist in his Art..." Eriol guessed. 

"Well, that explains a lot about Yue I didn't know before..." Yukito admitted. "But what has it to do with me?" 

"You too are a creature of magic," Eriol began. "And we now know, through the Soul Wings Card, that you are strongly Moon-aligned yourself. You should be able work magic through that alignment. Given the over-all gentle and friendly nature you possess..." 

"...you should be able to tap the more supportive magic of the Moon," Fujitaka finished. "We think." 

"Me? Use magic?!" Yukito was stunned. 

"Why not? I'm just a human and I can use magic," Touya pointed out. "You actually _are_ magic, it would make sense you could work it too!" 

"B, but...!" 

"Relax, Yukito-san!" Eriol laughed. "What are you worried about?" 

"...I would never want to hurt anybody, even accidentally. I know Yue-san was only trying to help Kerberos-san...but he did burn him..." 

"Oh, Yuki...!" Touya exclaimed. 

"Not to worry!" Fujitaka reassured. "Your Moon-alignment is almost the complete opposite of Yue's. So much so that I don't think you would even have an ability to attack with magic." 

"Hmm," Eriol cupped his chin in thought again. "You might be able to blind someone with a strong flash of light, but I think that would be the worst harm you could do with your magic. Your spells would be more helpful, creating a light in the darkness or healing an injury..." 

"R,really...?" Yukito seemed stunned. "That...that..." 

"That would be something you would like a lot!" Touya finished for him. 

"Uhm...yeah..." 

"What are you waiting for?! Figure out what you have to do and heal my arm then! This stings!" Kero yelled. 

******** 

"The Card you used..." Li began as he flew to perch on Eriol's shoulder, "That's the Card we were discussing before..." 

"Yes," Eriol replied. 

"You said it was very draining?" 

"Oh, I'm drained all right! I'll probably sleep all day tomorrow!" Eriol admitted with a laugh. "Fujitaka-san probably will too! But the combination of our two spells brought forth Tsukishiro-kun's personal potential to use magic and activated it." 

"I watched the whole time, but I still don't understand what you did," Li admitted. 

"Understandable. When Fujitaka and I combine our magic into one spell, it goes beyond anything that's been done before, even beyond what Clow could do. Fujitaka-san is very skilled with the innermost workings of the soul, more skilled than I. He isolated Yukito from Yue for me so that I could target Yukito with the Maximize Card. That Card brought out his potential to work magic apart from Yue. What Yukito does with that potential is up to him," Eriol explained. 

"He learned the healing ability right away!" Li pointed out. 

"And Kerberos will be able to help him learn other things. Really, he should have been working magic all along! I know the switch has been hard on you, but good things have come from it." 

"Switch? Oh, yeah..." Li seemed startled. 

Eriol looked at him closely, "I wonder if Kerberos is as comfortable being you has you have become being him. You haven't complained about being a stuffed animal for awhile!" 

Li crooked a lopsided smile. 

"It's nice to have everyone concerned about me a little. I don't think I would have gotten to know you as well if I were just...myself. Though I do miss being...uhm...romantic with Sakura..." 

"Hmm," Eriol turned his head and grinned at him, then became serious again. "You've learned most of Kerberos' magic and he's learned most of yours. You haven't fought with each other for days. I'm not certain what else Kero-chan has to learn, it is obscured from me, but I sense that you must manifest as the Guardian Beast. Once you do that, and Kero does whatever he must do as Li, the Change Card should reveal itself and reverse the switch. I think," Eriol noted as he cupped his chin. 

"Oh," Li said flatly. 

"Is there something wrong, cute relative?" Eriol reached up and pulled Li off his shoulder. 

"Uhm, no...that would be best..." 

"You'll miss being a stuffed animal?" Eriol's gaze probed deeply into Li's toy eyes. 

Li sighed, knowing he couldn't duck answering Eriol's question honestly. "Yeah...a little. Everyone has been so kind, Yukito-san (even though he's always kind!), Yue-san, Touya, you, Kinomoto-sensei...Sakura and Tomoyo haven't teased me as much as they normally do..." 

"That's because you are still Li, our friend, not because you are switched with Kero. I think you will find that some changes will remain even after you are switched back..." Eriol smiled warmly. "Even when we were younger, back in school, I wanted to be your friend." 

"Why would you want to be my friend?!" Li exclaimed. 

"You still almost revere me, even after all this time, don't you?" Eriol asked gently. 

"..." 

Eriol only smiled his enigmatic smile, opened his hand and allowed Li to float free. 

--------------------- 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - Admissions 


	10. Admissions

**Chapter Ten - Admissions**

Eriol was in one of his favorite places. Up a tree. Yue stood on the branch next to him. Li was cradled in Yue's arms. 

"This should be interesting," Eriol noted as he looked down on Kerberos and Sakura. Kerberos had asked Sakura to meet him at the Penguin King park for a private conversation. Of course, with Eriol around, there really was no such thing as a 'private conversation'. 

"Kero-chan?" Sakura asked. 

"It's funny how this park never changes. Well, now that is," Kerberos replied. 

Sakura eased a little. Whatever Kero-chan wanted to discuss couldn't be too bad for him to be so calm about it. Kerberos noticed. 

"Oh, it's nothing bad. I just wanted to talk with you away from the others. It's a pretty unique opportunity for me, you see," Kerberos reassured.   
  
Sakura smiled. "What do you want to talk about?" 

"Oh...that's the hard part. It's just..." Kerberos paused, deep in thought. He paced nervously. 

"If Clow had made me this way...with a human form, like he did with Yue...I would..." he stopped, and blushed furiously. 

"Kero-chan?" 

Kerberos glanced up. Abruptly Sakura recognized the expression on the face Kerberos had inadvertently borrowed from Li. Her eyes widened. Li's did too as he realized what Sakura's Sun Guardian was about to do. 

"No, no!" Li moaned in Yue's arms. "He doesn't! He isn't! This isn't happening!" 

"Shh, Li-kun!" Eriol ordered. "Listen!" Yue, though he still held Li in his arms, tightened his hold. Li knew if he tried to fly down to stop what was about to happen, or if he tried to call out, Yue would stop him. 

"I...I...love you, Sakura," Kerberos admitted in a low tone. "As your Guardian, certainly, but I wish..." 

"Oh, Kero-chan!" Sakura exclaimed, reaching forward abruptly and hugging him. Kerberos carefully hugged her back. She thought about what he just admitted. 

"Nooooooo!" Li moaned softly. "This can't be happening! She's hugging him!" 

"Yue!" Eriol commanded. Yue placed one hand firmly across Li's mouth and glared down at Li. Li couldn't help the tears of frustration that started in his toy-like eyes. He also couldn't help that his attention was irresistibly drawn to the conversation below. 

"I learned...with Yukito-san, that hearts are free. Yuki had been made by Clow to help me with Yue, but also to fall in love with me, so that I would never be as lonely as Clow was. But, even though he had been made to be that way, Yukito-san's heart was free to choose his own love. I do love you, Kerberos. For all kinds of reasons, some serious and some silly, but my heart...my heart chose Syaoran," Sakura told Kerberos softly even while she embraced him. 

Yue released Li's mouth certain that he was too stunned to shout out. 

"I know," Kerberos told her. "But you had to know, just once, how I wish it could have been." 

"Are you sad, Kero-chan?" 

"No. I see that you are happy with Li and it makes me happy too." Kerberos told her honestly. 

"R, Really?!" Li demanded. Both Eriol and Yue nodded. 

"True love helps you to be happy for the one you love, whenever that person is happy. Even if that person is most happy with someone else," Yue noted softly. 

"Kerberos loves Sakura truly, but he knows she is most happy when she is with you. Obviously, he wanted to tell her, just once, how he felt. Who knows, if Clow had made him the one with a human form, things might have turned out quite differently," Eriol teased. Li bristled. So did Yue. 

"Why do you tease Syaoran so much then?!" Sakura demanded as she pulled back a little from the embrace. 

"Ha, ha! Because he's so much fun to tease! He's too serious, sometimes!" Kerberos sobered again. "I can see that your heart made a wise choice, Sakura-chan. I tease him, but he really is good for you." 

Kerberos released his light hold on Sakura and walked a bit away from her before posing dramatically. 

"Not as good as I would be, of course, but then how could he be? I'm so wise and powerful and cute and witty..." 

"And modest," Sakura added wryly. 

"Thank you! And modest and..." 

Suddenly, Kerberos turned serious again. "...and I love you. Though most of the time I'm a silly-looking toy, I love you with a lion's heart, Sakura-san. I'll never let anything happen to you." Kerberos paused. "And because he loves you, and you love him in return, I'll never let anything happen to Li. Though if you tell him that, I'll deny it!" 

Kerberos grinned and grabbed Sakura's hand. 

"Ice cream! I want ice cream!" he demanded. 

Sakura giggled as Kerberos hauled her away. "Some things will never change!" 

"And they shouldn't," Eriol agreed, athletically tumbling from branch to branch on his way down to the ground. 

"Today is Li-kun's day, right?" Eriol asked Yue as Yue floated down beside him. Yue nodded. 

"Then I will see you later!" Eriol waved as he dashed off. 

"My day?" Li asked. 

"To see how well you've learned Kerberos' magic," Yue agreed. 

"Doesn't that mean you are are going to...attack me?!" Li asked nervously. 

"Yes." Yue opened his hands indicating that Li should float on his own. Reluctantly, Li did. 

"Oh," Li said in a very small voice. He wondered if it would hurt when the stuffed toy body that he was trapped in exploded into a pile of fluff under one of Yue's attacks. Then, since he was gone, Sakura would eventually (he hoped it would take her a little while to forget him at least!) fall in love with Kerberos in his body and... 

He scrunched his eyes closed tight and shook his head at the awful images playing in his mind. 

"Li?" Yue called to get his attention. 

"Y,Yes?" Li wondered if it was going to be quick. Surely Yue wouldn't make him suffer too! He looked over at the stern Moon Guardian's face. Something flew at him. 

The rock that Yue had thrown at him bounced away in the air as a giant spectral shield appeared and deflected it. 

"I had Sakura use the Shield Card on you this morning," Yue told him. "And I asked her to make it as strong as she can manage since I hurt Kerberos last time. Normally Shield can't deflect merely physical attacks. I'll scale the power of my attacks down too, so that you don't get hurt." 

Li felt relieved that Yue wasn't actually trying to kill him, to get him out of Kerberos' way, but he was still apprehensive. The one and only time he had ever faced Yue in a fight was during the Final Judgement. Then, he had felt confident, in the height of his power and ability with the Elemental Cards, and strengthened by several of the Clow Cards as well. 

Yue had shrugged off his strongest attacks, even turning his most powerful, the Time Stop of the Clow Card, Time, against him. Yue had then stripped him of the Clow Cards he had gained and casually, almost as an afterthought, returned him unharmed to the others. Li had wanted to die. It was bad enough he had been so easily defeated, but to have it witnessed and to be treated as if he had not been a challenge at all, made him wish Yue had killed him. 

The horror of that defeat was made even more bitter when Li remembered that Yue was actually the true form of Yukito. It was almost as if all the kind attention Yukito had given to him was all just a lie, as in a way it was Yukito himself who had defeated him so easily. 

"I...I don't want to do this," Li admitted. 

Yue stared at him for a very long time. 

"All right," he agreed. "We can talk instead." 

"Talk?" 

"Yes. You heard what Kerberos told Sakura." 

"About how he feels about her? Yes! Since you and Eriol forced me to!" Li cried out. 

"Aside from that!" he snapped. "About you, that you are right for her. And that he would protect you also." 

Li thought back to the conversation under the tree he'd been forced to eavesdrop on. 

"Yeah, he did say that too, didn't he?" he realized softly. 

"Kerberos didn't appoint you, and I didn't judge you, but we feel it is out duty to make certain that the people and relationships in our Card Captor's life are good for her. You have Kerberos' approval..." 

Li looked up suddenly into Yue's sternly impassive face. 

"...and you have mine too. You are good for Sakura. She is my first duty, but I feel as Kerberos does, that I should protect you too." 

"I think we should have talked a long time ago. The Final Judgement worked out well for Sakura, in the end, but Yukito thinks..._I_ think that it caused more damage to you than I realized." 

Li just gaped at Yue. 

Yue pulled his knees up and hugged them to himself, even though he still floated in the air. Li had never seen the Moon Guardian look so vulnerable before. 

"I...loved Clow. He was my maker; he was my world. Kerberos and the Cards were there, but Clow was the center of my universe. What he wanted was most important to me. Making him smile, making him happy was my only goal in life. If he was happy, I was happy too." 

"We lived together for many, many years, all of us, Clow, Kerberos, the Cards and myself. At first, it was always happy. Wherever Clow was, there was magic. It delighted him. There were people in his life, drawn to his power and his personality. He was...content." 

"But...his magic continued to grow. His face would become sad during the day. He'd wake up at night choking back screams. Toward the end..." 

Li just listened, amazed at all Yue was revealing to him. 

"Toward the end, the only way Clow could sleep at all was leaning against Kerberos' side or..." Yue stopped and looked up into Li's eyes. His eyes were full of distress, remembered pain and helpless love. Li knew the image of Yue's stricken face would etch itself so deeply in his mind that he'd never forget it. 

"I'd cradle him in my lap, rock him gently and wish with all my might I could make his nightmares go away." 

Yue stopped for a long time while he gathered his composure again. 

"His dreams were of the future. Most magicians must work very deliberately to glimpse briefly into future happenings. Clow was forced to dream them, in almost perfect clarity, since his power was so great. He told me once it had almost become a game, to see if he could change the future he'd seen, do something capricious or cruel, where what he'd dreamed showed him he'd been predictable and kind. He was afraid..." 

"Afraid?" Li asked. 

"Afraid that he would change...trying to change the futures he'd seen." 

"The most awful day of my life was when Clow told us that 'this day' was the day he would die. He was so serene about it, telling Kerberos and me that we would have a new master...I didn't want to hear it. I refused to listen." 

"He just smiled, that wonderful, gentle smile of his, and told me that since I felt so strongly, I would be able to judge the new master. I told him I would never choose, that no one would ever pass my judgement." 

Li was startled to see tears flowing from Yue's eyes. 

"Then that last embrace, the last, powerful touch of his magic and I slept, I slept blissfully unaware of my loss until I woke at the time of the Final Judgement." 

Yue slanted a look over at Li. "To me, I woke to feel echoes of that beloved magic in the keeping of two children. I found I had memories of helping both of those children as 'Tsukishiro Yukito', but that didn't matter to me. I was determined to bring about the disaster of the world rather than choose a new master. Only Clow himself would ever master me. Either the disaster would let me forget all about him, or let me sleep again in peace on his book until the last echoes of his magic faded and let me sleep forever. That's what I thought." 

"Kerberos was tender-hearted as always. I could tell he was already fond of Sakura. I wondered how he could have forgotten Clow so easily. Now I know it wasn't that he'd forgotten, it was that he knew Sakura better than I did. So even though the Cards had not been gathered by one person, Kerberos insisted I conduct the Final Judgement." 

"I remember that," Li said. 

"I could tell you were a descendant of Clow. I probably never told you that before. I wondered why you weren't Kerberos' Appointed," Yue told him. 

"Really?" Somehow, that comment comforted Li. 

"Of course, as you'd had no training at all, you didn't know how to defeat me. In accordance with the Final Judgement, since Kerberos had Appointed Sakura, I broke the bonds of the Clow Cards to you and gave them to Sakura. I was determined to best her in a true Final Judgement so I would never have to worry about it again." 

"That's why you took the Cards away when you beat me," Li finally understood. 

"The fight against her was just as easy for me as the one with you. I wondered if Kerberos, despite acting as if he wanted a new Master, didn't want her to succeed as he really hadn't trained her well at all. When she used the Wood Card against me...Wood is so gentle and so firmly under the aspect of the Moon there's no way she'd ever hurt me," Yue explained. 

"Sakura was so distressed that she had lost. I was as gentle as I could be, since she was just a child, but I was relieved that she had failed the Final Judgement. I could return to sleep and never worry about anyone other than Clow being my master again." 

"She surprised me when she almost broke Wood's bonds, but still, she was only a child and had at that point had the full power of the Clow Cards for only a short while. She didn't quite have the strength." 

"So what finally changed your mind?" Li asked. 

"The Bell. The Moon Bell. I helped Clow to make that Bell, so it held some of my power in it. When Sakura failed the Final Judgement and I declared it, I could feel my memories, my most cherished but painful memories start to slip away. I hoped that once they were gone I could sleep forever and never care for anyone again. I think that's what would have happened." 

"When the Bell was rung, I felt my power reverberating in time with Clow's in that sound. It reminded me of my happiest day." 

"Your happiest day?" 

"It was the first day of spring. Clow had told Kerberos and me to wait beneath the tree in the very center of his garden. We waited and waited, talking and getting a bit bored I suppose, wondering why Clow wanted us to wait." 

"What happened?" 

"Suddenly we could feel his magic swirling around the dormant tree bringing it to full bloom in just a few seconds. A new Card spirit formed in front of us. She wore a dress the same color as the cherry blossoms she'd caused to bloom on the tree and she was smiling at us. Clow approached in that silent way of his then, picked up her hand, kissed the back of it and told her that her name was 'Flower'. He thanked her for causing the tree to bloom. Kerberos asked what her power was. Clow told him she could produce flowers. Kerberos, tactful as always, said it was a rather weak and useless power. Flower seemed sad at that. Clow smiled and told Kerberos he was wrong. He said that the Flower Card had tremendous power, that she could make people feel happy with her beautiful flowers." 

Li considered that. 

"He also told Flower that she was special since she was the first of his Cards to share both the sun and the moon aspect equally." 

"That's pretty cool....but what made it your favorite day?" 

"Afterward, Clow was looking at the blossoms of the cherry tree and smiling. I walked up to him and asked why he made the Flower Card. I thought she was kind of weak too, you see. He turned and told me he wanted to give Kerberos and me something special, a special Card whose only purpose was to make us happy. Because he loved us and wanted to give us something beautiful. Dark and Windy are the most powerful Cards under my aspect, and I care for them, but I care for Flower more deeply, because...Clow made her just for us." 

"So I recalled that day, a day when my heart was overflowing with love, when the Bell was rung. Do you remember the costume Sakura wore during the Final Judgement? It's the same color as a cherry blossom. And her name means 'cherry blossom'. When I heard the Bell, and remembered that day and Clow's gift to us...I didn't want to win the Final Judgement anymore." 

"You didn't? Why?" 

Yue smiled. "You must promise to never tell any of this to Sakura." Li nodded. "When I heard the Bell, I knew that Clow had seen into the future far enough to know what would happen when I woke for the Final Judgement. He had known how I would feel. He had known I wanted whoever had been Appointed to fail. He made the Bell, with some of my power, to give not only Sakura a second chance, but me too. To let me reconsider what I would be losing and what I would be taking away from other people too. Once I realized he cared enough, that though he could never really meet her, he loved Sakura enough to give her that second chance, only then did I realize how much Clow had truly loved me. He wanted me to be happy too, even if it wasn't with him. That's why...that's why there had to be a Final Judgement. It really wasn't for Sakura at all...it was for me." 

Yue cast his mind back to the moment when the Bell had sounded and he became aware all he was going to give up. He realized that he was going to make others suffer too, to lose that most special feeling, loving one person best in all the world. His eyes had closed in time with the sound of the Bell and he felt as though he had tumbled headlong through the air. 

Strong arms caught him. Familiar arms, exactly echoing his final embrace from Clow Reed. 

"Yue." 

That was all. Just his name. It broke him. 

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Can I take it back?! The disaster of the world! I don't want to forget you! I don't want anyone to forget their deepest feelings of love!" Yue had cried out, desperately clutching the arms holding him. He opened his eyes. 

Clow smiled. Clow appeared faint and ghostly, though his arms around Yue felt solid enough. 

"It's taken back. You, more than anyone except Kerberos, know how much I like to thumb my nose at fate!" 

"Will you accept Sakura-san as your new Master in my place?" 

Yue nodded. 

"Willingly?" Clow insisted. 

"Yes, Master." 

"Then look," Clow threaded his arm across Yue's shoulders between Yue's head and wings and turned them around. Yue watched as Sakura experienced one day of the world without love. Yue's heart went out to the little girl. She was so confused, sensing that something was wrong but not knowing what it was. Sensing also that somehow she had to make it right, and not even knowing how to begin. 

"She can break the disaster of the world if you will let her," Clow told Yue. "She is weak now, but she can be even more powerful than I was...and she won't be harmed by that power as I was...if you and Kerberos are at her side. And not just with your power, but with your heart as well. She must become your true Mistress, Yue." 

"I...I don't want her to live in that bleak and hopeless world," Yue admitted. 

Clow smiled at him. "Your heart has always been proud. Too proud, as it turns out. You like thwarting fate even more than I do! But when you do love, it is deep and true. You've been resisting all the feelings inspired by my 'Moon Castle' haven't you?" 

"He is weak, silly and useless," Yue told Clow. 

"Sakura, Li and Touya don't think so," Clow countered. "Yukito's heart is not only different from yours, it is different from what I designed it to be. No matter. He was simply going to disappear once the Final Judgement was completed, but I think this will be even more amusing." Clow lightly touched Yue right over his heart. "It will be hard on you having two separate personas, but it will help in the end." 

Clow had embraced him one more time, touched him again with that magic and broke the barrier Yue had made against Yukito's feelings. Suddenly, Yue was on a hill, just touching the trunk of a tree with his left hand, under a rain of cherry petals. He heard a noise behind him and turned to see Sakura, with the most delighted smile on her face, running up the hill. 

"If you do indeed accept her, send her to me at the end of the Final Judgement," Yue heard Clow's final command in his mind. Somehow caught up in Yukito's feelings, he smiled as Sakura ran toward him. The vision faded. 

Yue was in the air, looking down on Sakura again, one part of his mind listening as Mizuki-sensei explained about the Bell, struggling to find his bearings in the shifting realities he'd just experienced. He'd somehow met Clow, been in Sakura's vision and... 

He was Yukito. Now, not only did he know everything that had happened while he had been Yukito, he felt Yukito's emotions too. Yukito's rush of tender feelings for Sakura reinforced his fledgling decision to let Sakura win at this second chance. Trust Clow to do something so bothersome to him! It was going to be hard to reconcile his feelings with Yukito's! 

Although, he reflected...perhaps not so hard after all. That had been when the sky started raining stars at him. 

Yue suddenly noticed Li looking at him. He realized he'd been silent for several minutes remembering all that had happened to him during those crucial moments of the Final Judgement. 

"I...I could have broken Windy's hold, if I had tried," Yue admitted to Li. 

"Really?! Even against Sakura's new power?" 

Yue smiled. "It's true Sakura had changed her wand, but it didn't change Windy's basic nature. She is still a Card under the aspect of the Moon. I let Windy catch me. It wasn't until Sakura said she wanted to be, not my Mistress, but my friend, that I really made up my mind to let her win." 

"So I realize I was more brutal with you during the Judgement than I should have been," Yue admitted. "I never did tell you I was sorry." 

"Do you remember the teddy bear?" Li asked suddenly. 

Yue narrowed his eyes and nodded. A teddy bear had given Sakura and him a world of grief not soon after. 

"You made up for it then. If you hadn't explained why I was so attracted to Yukito, I never would have admitted to myself that I love Sakura." 

Yue smiled. "Well, I am sorry about how I treated you during the Final Judgement. I am glad I was finally able to tell you and clear the air." 

"So...you threw the Final Judgement, huh?" Li cupped his chin in one hand and thrashed his tail about. "Does Kero know? Is it really a valid Judgement if you weren't really trying?" Li teased. 

"Hush, you!" Yue glared at him. "Of course it was! I accepted Sakura after all. Nothing said she actually had to beat me into submission!" 

Li held up both hands in surrender. "Teasing! I'm just teasing, Yue!" 

Yue grinned at him. "I know. Hey, are you sure you don't want to test how well you've learned how to use Kerberos' powers?" 

--------------------- 

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get! 

stargarde@stargarde.com 

Next chapter teaser - A Day in the Sun   
  



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